Something I Believe In Miracle Romance
by Satine89
Summary: Nora Debussi has beauty and brains, and she could pick any guy she wants. So she picks... Mandark! Will Mandark get over his blondehaired goddess to pick Nora? FINISHED PG13 for romantic complications, language, mild violence, and lots of da
1. The It Girl

The 'It Girl'

Part One of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

"Oh my gosh, Dexter! Look at this!"

Dee-Dee was pestering her younger brother, Dexter, again. Today, she was holding a printed-out email from her friend.

"What is it, Dee-Dee?" Dexter asked irritably. He brushed some red hair out of his face so he could properly focus on the task at hand – fixing the remote control.

"Lee-Lee wrote me that we're getting a TRANSFER STUDENT! Isn't that WONDERFUL?" Dee-Dee screamed. She was clearly excited, as her blonde pigtails bobbed happily.

"So why do you tell this to me, Dee-Dee?" Dexter inquired, his eyes narrowing from behind his glasses. Dexter found Dee-Dee to be very annoying most of the time, and today was no exception.

"She's gonna be in YOUR class! Aren't you lucky?" Dee-Dee sighed, lowering her huge blue eyes. She clearly wanted the transfer student to be in her grade. Dee-Dee was older than Dexter, but Dexter was WAY smarter than her. Dexter was a boy genius that knew a lot about what others would call 'nerdy stuff'.

"So she's younger than you," Dexter shrugged. "Dee-Dee, I STILL don't care about the new transfer student."

"Well, I guess we'll just figure out who she is later," Dee-Dee smiled, and began to do one of her favorite things, destroy Dexter's lab.

...

Dexter McPhearson took his seat in class. He sat in the front, because he liked the attention he got as a genius. Besides, he knew that it hurt to turn your neck to look at someone in the back of the room.

Dexter's archrival, Mandark Astronominov, sat in the corner of the second row. Mandark, like Dexter, was into 'nerdy things', Mandark, like Dexter, wore glasses, and Mandark, like Dexter, was VERY smart. Naturally, these two were always competing with each other over things, usually grades and inventions.

But Mandark liked the dark, unlike Dexter. Hippies raised him, so I guess that the aftereffects of this weren't that pleasant. (Oh well. At least he's not obsessed with voodoo or something equally as strange, like 'Cops'.)

The teacher walked in. After her was the transfer student.

The transfer student wasn't extraordinary. She had silky black hair that seemed perfect, but she wore normal clothes (a long-sleeved gray button-down shirt with black pants), had normal looks (soft green eyes, freckles on her face, and a slender figure), and flashed a friendly smile to the class.

"Tell us about yourself," the teacher inquired.

The girl nodded politely. "My name is Nora Debussi. I'm eleven years old, and my star sign is Virgo. My favorite subject is Science, in particular Physics and Gravity –"

Dexter almost fell out of his chair. Physics and Gravity! She was SMART! And she enjoyed science!

" – And I'm not so good at PE. Unless we're playing volleyball, of course. Um… I like to listen to classical music…"

Dexter saw so many similarities between him and her that he almost figured them identical.

"…And Eminem. And I think that's it."

_Eminem? _Mandark thought. _What's that?_

_Eminem!_ Dexter thought angrily. _Who in their right mind listens to HIM? Not exactly indistinguishable, then…_

"Well, there appears to be an empty seat there in the second row, so you can take it," the teacher told Nora.

Nora nodded and took the empty seat in the second row. Oddly enough, this was situated between Mandark's corner and Dexter's desk in the front.

Nora looked at her surroundings and saw Mandark out of the corner of her eye. For a split second, her eyes kept that position, but then she opened her math book like the rest of the class.

...

By lunch, everyone knew that Nora Debussi was the third smartest person in the entire school – after Dexter and Mandark, of course. Not only that, but by some miracle, she had managed to get the attention of the jocks, cheerleaders, artsy people, band geeks… just about everyone wanted to hang out with Nora Debussi.

Three of the people who wanted to be Nora's friends were Dee-Dee McPhearson and her friends, Lee-Lee and Mee-Mee. Nora had beginning art with them, and they hit off pretty well.

At lunch, many people were disappointed when Nora sat with Dee-Dee and her pals.

"So," Dee-Dee began, "do you like it here?"

Nora smiled. "Oh yes. I love my homeroom classes. There's some people that are as smart as me in there."

"Really?" Lee-Lee asked.

"Who are they?" Mee-Mee asked.

"Well, there's that kid, Dexter McPhearson," Nora said.

_Not to mention that other guy, _Nora thought.

"Oh my God. No way," Dee-Dee replied. "Dexter is my brother!"

"You're lying," Nora cried.

"She's telling the truth," Mee-Mee smirked.

"He's SO smart," Nora grinned emphatically.

"But he's a bit weird," Dee-Dee smiled, and then leaned towards Nora and put a hand near her mouth, so no one would hear her.

"He has this HUGE lab in his room," Dee-Dee whispered. Nora's eyes lit up. "He keeps it a secret so that his arch-enemy doesn't find out about it."

"Arch-enemy?" Nora blinked. "He has a nemesis?"

Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee nodded in unison. "That guy." All three turned their heads to Mandark. Nora recognized him immediately as the other guy in her class, the one that had his seat in the darkness.

"Who's he?" Nora asked. She knew perfectly who he was, seeing that he was in most of her classes, but she didn't know what his name was. Knowing someone's name was pretty important in Nora's book.

"That's Mandark Astronominov," Dee-Dee stated flatly.

"He's really odd," Mee-Mee added.

"Creepy is more like it," Lee-Lee shivered.

"That guy freaks me out." Dee-Dee got a chill, too. "He's a total dork. If you hang out with him… it's social suicide."

"Social suicide?" Nora scoffed.

"We said that long before 'Mean Girls' came along," Mee-Mee countered.

"No one believes us," Lee-Lee sighed.

Nora was still staring at Mandark, and thinking about social suicide.

_It can't be that bad. It's not like talking to him will ruin my life, _Nora thought.

"You're too popular to hang out with nerds like them. You're already the 'It Girl' at school," Dee-Dee explained ardently. She noticed Nora was looking elsewhere.

"Nora!" Dee-Dee snapped. Nora looked back at the tabled. Dee-Dee and her friends had odd-looking grins on their faces.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Nora asked.

"You were looking at someone," Dee-Dee smirked vindictively.

Nora blushed. "You were mistaken."

"You're blushing," Lee-Lee grinned with Dee-Dee.

"No I'm not," Nora said, as she turned redder.

"You are," Mee-Mee smiled.

Nora felt trapped between her new friends and her true emotions. Obviously, if she told anyone whom she fell in love with at first sight, she'd commit social suicide. But if she didn't tell the three girls before her, she'd probably be left there, blushing like an idiot.

"Okay, maybe I am blushing, but I was not looking at someone," Nora pressed firmly.

"Oh, you're one of those shy types," Dee-Dee frowned apologetically. "Sorry about that."

"Yes, I'm really shy," Nora lied.

_I'm actually not very shy, _Nora thought. _But if Mandark talked to me, I'd be shy all right…_

"So we'll set you up with Mandark."

_What the heck?! _Nora thought desperately. _Was it THAT obvious that I want to be his muse, his only one, his beautiful maiden, his…_

"Nora, you're spacing out again," Dee-Dee sighed.

"What makes you think I like Mandark?" Nora asked. She was very collected and calm, quite a contrast from the blood-red 'shy' girl she was earlier.

Dee-Dee blinked. Nora looked so professional that she regretted ever saying anything about Mandark.

"Oh, sorry, it was just a guess," Dee-Dee smiled oddly, while putting her hand down for Nora to see, as if she was showing off a nonexistent diamond ring.

"You guessed incorrectly," Nora responded. The four of them conversed while eating, but different thoughts pulsed through Nora's mind.

_His and his alone, that's what I will be… his mistress, his only love, his…_

_..._

Nora watched her teacher with an unrelenting gaze. They were being assigned partners for math. She had been looking across the room, at various people (including Mandark) when the math teacher made the announcement.

_Oh my God. What will I do if Mandark's MY partner? _Nora bit her lip involuntarily. _What'll I say? What if I slip up or something?_

The teacher had just assigned the second most popular guy in school, Billy Harrington, to an artsy girl, Ann-Marie Helsing.

_That's an uncommon pairing, _Nora thought hopefully. _Maybe I'll get paired with a cheerleader, like Ellen Rourke._

Ellen Rourke got paired with a band geek, Jamie Stevens.

Nora watched in silence as the pairings continued.

Fellow video game freaks Kevin Pollard and Taylor Neil were paired. Then Nick Simpson (a jock) and Lalaine Mobsy (a Goth). Heather Wiltshire (cheerleader) and Tatiana Lopez (cool Latin). Ana Hikaru (manga trafficker) and Edward Blake (third most popular guy in school). Dexter McPhearson and Nora Debussi…

_Hey! I'm not with Mandark! _Nora thought. _Dang…_

By the end of the period, Nora was not complaining. Dexter was the single most intelligent person she'd ever met, but Nora could challenge what he said without fear of backlash. Everything made sense when Dexter explained it.

Nora's eyes wandered over to Mandark and his partner, Jacob Ramone (a punker). They seemed to be getting along, but Nora breathed a sigh of relief that Mandark wasn't paired with a gorgeous girl, like Ellen Rourke or Natalie Faye (cheerleader as well, paired with Dominic Billows, Lord of the Rings freak).

Since math was the last period of the day, when the bell rang, Nora put her stuff in her backpack when one of the pouches broke and a ton of stuff fell out. Nora narrowed her eyes in frustration, reaching for her Eminem Show CD. But another hand was there, too. Nora looked up when she felt her hand rest on another hand.

"Oh, sorry," Mandark said. "I just wanted to help."

Nora tried her best not to turn red, and she didn't. "Thank you."

Nora took back her CD and put it into her backpack. Mandark started to hand her a pen she dropped, but Nora looked at him strangely.

"You don't have to help me," Nora noted.

"But I will anyway," Mandark pressed, and he continued to help her pick up her stuff.

Nora zipped up her backpack finally, and Mandark smiled.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Nora grinned too. "Bye."

When Nora left the class, she felt her heart beat out of control inside her chest. She had talked to him, without saying anything too stupid. And on top of that, she had touched his hand. Albeit, she had inadvertently touched it, but still, it felt wonderful.

Nora left the school, her hand still warm from Mandark's touch.

...

Nora was walking down the street when she heard someone call her name.

"Nora!" Dee-Dee yelled. Nora smiled and waited for Dee-Dee to catch up. Dexter was with her, too.

"Hello Dee-Dee, hello Dexter," Nora greeted them. Dee-Dee stuck her finger up the hole in one of the pouches in Nora's backpack.

"What happened?" Dee-Dee asked. Dexter sighed.

"There is a aperture in her backpack, stoopid-head," Dexter snapped.

"Sure, Dexter," Dee-Dee smiled.

"My backpack broke after math," Nora shrugged. "Mandark helped me pick up my things."

Nora hoped she wasn't blushing too profusely.

"Mandark?" Dexter shrieked. "That good-for-nothing psychotic nut job –"

"He was nice to me," Nora shrugged again. Dexter was positively seething. "I'll stop talking about him, because it clearly exasperates you."

"I told you that he had it in for Mandark," Dee-Dee griped. "It gets annoying. I don't like having rivals."

"We have a straightforward scientific enmity towards each other," Dexter corrected.

Dee-Dee drew a blank, so Nora said, "They're simply enemies."

"Oh, I knew that," Dee-Dee moaned. "Boring."

Nora changed the subject. "Where do you guys live?"

"Oh, we live in that house right there," Dee-Dee pointed out a house across the street from Nora's house. Nora's house was the biggest on the block.

"I live just across the street," Nora smirked.

"Awesome!" Dee-Dee cooed. "We're gonna be best friends, right?"

"Dee-Dee, she is much too cerebral for the likes of you. She's my friend," Dexter dissed Dee-Dee. Nora put her palms up and shook them.

"Look, I'll be both of your best friends," Nora suggested. Dee-Dee was all smiles again.

"All right!" Dee-Dee pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket and scrawled down her phone number.

"Call me," Dee-Dee said. "I'll never pull a Plastic on you and do a three-way call attack or anything like that."

"That's my phone number too, Nora," Dexter nodded. "Just so you know."

Nora took the paper and stuck it in her palm. "I'll call, don't worry."

Nora walked into her house as Dexter and Dee-Dee did the same.

...

"Alright, fine. I lied to you today," Nora confessed.

"I knew that you weren't shy," Dee-Dee giggled.

"No, not about that!" Nora snapped.

"Well, then, come out with it," Dee-Dee ordered.

Nora had thought about what to lie about. And she already knew what she would say when Dee-Dee pressed her for info.

"My backpack didn't break after math. It broke before math," Nora mused with rehearsed ease.

"Oh, come on," Dee-Dee rolled her eyes on the receiving end of the phone. "So you don't like Mandark?"

"No." Another lie.

"Good, cuz in Lit class, C.J. Richardson told me he wanted to ask you out," Dee-Dee laughed. "You are so lucky. You know how many girls like him?"

"Carter Richardson?" Nora gasped. He made Orlando Bloom look like an LGM (from 'Toy Story').

"Yeah," Dee-Dee answered. "You know what he told me? He said that he modeled his looks after that Seto Kaiba guy in Yu-Gi-Oh and he's never been into a Hollister in his entire life."

Nora scowled. She'd never been to a Hollister either. She favored clothes from Hot Topic, Charlotte Russe, and Victoria's Secret.

But she also scowled because she liked Mandark – a lot. Even though Carter was hot, she barely knew him. Sure, he had said hello to her in the cafeteria while sitting with Dee-Dee and her pals, but the warmth of Mandark's hand upon hers still lingered in her memory.

"I'm not sure if I want to be with him," Nora admitted.

"What?" Dee-Dee was shocked. "He's really into you!"

"I'm into someone else," Nora added forcefully. "Besides, I've only been in school one day. How can I know if I like Carter yet?"

"Hmm," Dee-Dee nodded. "I see your point."

"I have to get off the phone," Nora lied again. That was three times.

"Fine, party-pooper. Don't be surprised if Carter asks you to hang out with him at lunch though," Dee-Dee smiled.

"What about you guys?" Nora asked.

"We'll get by," Dee-Dee said indifferently. "See ya."

"Goodbye."

Nora hung up the phone. There was no way that she would date Carter. She liked Mandark. She couldn't care less about social suicide.

Nora laughed to herself. She'd never even seen 'Mean Girls' but she knew what Dee-Dee meant by 'pulling a Plastic' or 'social suicide'.

Not that it mattered, or anything. Nora flopped onto her bed. It had a blue comforter with black pinstripes going through it. Even though it sounded ugly, it was rather pretty. Nora gazed at her tan ceiling and wondered about her new school.

_Dexter and Dee-Dee are awesome. But… I love Mandark… I wonder… if he… likes me…_

Nora's eyelashes fluttered closed as she fell asleep, dreaming of herself and a man.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Laboratory. I mentioned a lot of other things in here (Charlotte Russe, Mean Girls, Toy Story, Yugioh, Hot Topic, Eminem…) and I'll simply say I don't own any brand names or movies listed. I do own Nora Debussi, Carter Richardson, Ellen Rourke and Natalie Faye. (The people with last names that I haven't listed here, I own those too, but they aren't very important.)


	2. Let's Leave It At That

Let's Leave It At That

Part Two of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

Like Dee-Dee thought, Nora was invited to sit with Carter Richardson (who really didn't like it when Dee-Dee called him C.J., or so he told Nora), but Nora was also sitting with Billy Harrington, Natalie Faye, Ellen Rourke, Heather Wiltshire, and Edward Blake. They were very inviting of Nora, and they seemed intelligent and appreciated Nora for who she was.

"So," Ellen asked as she applied lipstick, "are you going to try out for the cheer squad?"

"Cheer squad?" Nora repeated. "Sorry, I'm very bad at dancing."

"Oh, come on, Nora," Edward sighed. He had brown hair and green eyes as piercing as a hawk's beak. "You're gorgeous. You could make the cheer squad easily."

Natalie had a scowl on her face. She was very pretty, with tan skin and nut-brown cropped hair. "You guys should stop pressuring her to join the squad."

_I think I like Natalie better than the rest of these guys, _Nora thought.

* * *

Natalie and Nora exchanged phone numbers, and, after lunch, Nora headed to English with her.

Natalie had told Nora that she became part of the popular crowd in very much the same way Nora was becoming the It Girl.

"Except that Lara Garrett, who was my best friend until she moved to Michigan in eighth grade, was your Dee-Dee. Lara's in ninth grade now. I met her in fourth. She was in sixth grade," Natalie explained.

"I still don't understand why I'm the 'It Girl,'" Nora said.

"You're beautiful, Nora," Natalie explained. "And you're almost as smart as Dexter. You're probably equal with Mandark."

"Really?" Nora asked. She tried not to make it too obvious that she liked this statement very much.

"Yeah, of course, sister," Natalie smiled. The pair of them took their seats in English and took out their respective silent reading books. Natalie's was 'Define "Normal",' Nora's was 'Angels and Demons' by Dan Brown.

Nora looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Mandark reading 'The DaVinci Code' by Dan Brown.

Nora only wished that Mandark knew how she felt. If just for a third of a second, she wished she could be held in his arms, with that warm touch that had flooded her mind ever since her backpack burst.

* * *

It was math again. Dexter and Nora were going over division of fractions, which both of them were aces at.

So they finished their respective homework and had ten minutes left of class.

"Should we just keep going?" Nora asked Dexter.

"We cannot just progress forward," Dexter sighed. "I got into trouble the last time I did that."

"So what do we do for ten minutes?" Nora asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Dexter admitted.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Dexter was looking around, but Nora was staring at Mandark. Mandark looked up, and Nora turned away, slightly pink.

"Why are you blushing?" Dexter asked. He wasn't saying it suggestively; rather, he was concerned.

"Oh, no reason," Nora replied.

_Wow, that sounded stupid, _Nora thought.

"You were staring at something across the room," Dexter noted.

"It's nothing, Dexter," Nora insisted.

"Are you sure you don't have a fever?" Dexter inquired.

_Well, I feel a feverish passion towards your worst enemy, _Nora thought.

"Yes, I don't feel nauseous or sick or anything," Nora persisted.

The bell rang. Nora packed up all of her stuff, and was about to leave when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Nora turned around to see Mandark standing there, with her 8 Mile CD.

"You left this yesterday," Mandark explained. "I tried to tell you, but you walked out before I could get to you."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Nora apologized. Nora did nothing to hide her pink face.

"You look like you have a fever," Mandark noted.

_Dude, I have the hots for you. Of course I look feverish._

"No, I'm fine," Nora shrugged. "See you tomorrow."

Nora left the classroom. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour again.

_Why do I always see him after math? _Nora thought. _Does he want to tell me something?_

Nora was still holding the 8 Mile CD. For no reason, she opened it up and saw a note inside of it.

_I liked it._

That was all the little yellow Post-It said.

* * *

Natalie scowled.

"So a guy gives you back your CD and there's a note saying, "I liked it." What's the point?" Natalie sneered.

"You don't understand. I really like this guy," Nora sighed.

"Wow. You got a Post-It," Dee-Dee snarled from her phone. It was a three-way call.

"But _he_ wrote it!" Nora twirled around, tangling herself in her phone's cord.

"Wow, you must really like this guy," Natalie grinned. "It's only been two days since you transferred here. Who could you fall in love with that fast?"

"Oh my God. You don't like C.J., do you?" Dee-Dee giggled, and so did Natalie.

Nora scowled. She looked at her reflection in a mirror and saw her face was bright red.

"Not really," Nora answered. "No, this guy is so much better. He wrote me a Post-It!"

"We get that," Dee-Dee snapped. "What we don't get is who it is. So tell us."

"I'm sorry. I refuse," Nora narrowed her eyes. Nora became all smiles again after putting the note on her mirror, which was full-length with a golden frame.

"That's no fun," Natalie pouted. "Is it because you like someone we know?"

"Not necessarily," Nora lied.

"Do you like Dexter?" Dee-Dee asked.

"No way," Nora replied quickly. "He's just a friend."

"I saw Mandark helping you pick up your things the other day," Natalie offered.

"Ooh-la-la," Dee-Dee chuckled.

"I told him that he didn't have to do it, but he helped anyway," Nora countered, irritated. Well, she hoped she came off as irritated. She was very red and her heart was threatening to come out of her chest.

A noise came from the phone. Natalie sighed.

"Sorry, I have to get off the phone," Natalie mumbled.

"Okay, see ya Natalie," Dee-Dee grinned.

"Bye," Nora said.

"Later," Natalie added before hanging up.

A few seconds of silence passed.

"Hey, Dee-Dee, can I talk to Dexter?" Nora asked impulsively.

"Err… sure," Dee-Dee shrugged. "Why do you wanna talk to him?"

"Just give him the phone, please," Nora ordered.

Dee-Dee yelled at Dexter to get the phone, and soon Dexter was on the other line.

"Hello, this is Dexter," Dexter greeted.

"Hello, Dexter. It's Nora," Nora greeted back.

"Why did you want to speak to me?" Dexter asked.

"Dexter, can you keep a secret?" Nora inquired.

"Keep a secret?" Dexter repeated. "Is it something important?"

"It is to me."

"All right then," Dexter said. "What is it?"

Nora was very red, like her face had gotten burned, and her eyes had completely glassed over.

"Well… I like Mandark."

"Oh well, your loss," Dexter shrugged. "Don't worry. If you want me to keep that a secret, I will."

"Thank you, Dexter," Nora smiled. It felt so good to get that out of her system.

"I'm sorry, I really must be going," Dexter said after looking at a clock.

"Oh, okay. Bye."

"Good-bye."

Dexter put down the phone.

_Wow. She likes Mandark. They're friends. Why does she want me to keep that a secret? _Dexter asked.

* * *

Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee knew there was something up with Nora. They were swimming in Dee-Dee's pool when Lee-Lee brought it up.

"Nora acts so weird sometimes," Lee-Lee noted.

"It almost seems like she doesn't like Carter," Mee-Mee sighed.

"I know," Dee-Dee replied. "She's so strange. Any girl with half a brain likes Carter. I know she has a brain. She's so smart."

Lee-Lee and Mee-Mee looked at each other.

"So if Nora doesn't like Carter," Lee-Lee inquired, "who does she like?"

"I don't really know," Dee-Dee answered.

"I bet we could force it out of her," Mee-Mee mused.

Dee-Dee nodded, but she really didn't want to force the answers out of Nora. No matter how much Nora lied, she couldn't hide the fact that she was very shy indeed.

"Maybe that's not the best way," Lee-Lee shrugged. "Maybe we should just wait."

* * *

Weeks passed. Summer faded into fall, and the autumn breeze filtered through windows in Nora's math class. Their partners were still the same, but Nora didn't care about the partners.

Nora still liked Mandark a lot. The Post-It was still on her mirror, and she still felt the warm touch of Mandark's hand on hers occasionally.

Nora and Dexter were working together on surface area when Dexter suddenly said something.

"My sister thinks you're outlandish for not dating Carter," Dexter randomly burst out. Nora continued to work on her problem, sucking on her eraser.

"I don't have a crush on him," Nora responded flatly. Dexter nodded.

"Well, she presumed that to be true," Dexter shrugged. "Honestly, I don't really care."

Nora smiled, still sucking on her eraser. "I'm glad someone doesn't."

"Being popular seems callous," Dexter mused.

"Sometimes, it is," Nora replied, "but I think of myself as… lucky, I guess."

Dexter smiled. "Well, I guess that's a levelheaded way to think of it."

Nora put her head down on the table and watched the hypnotizing blue lines on her college ruled paper.

The bell rang. Dexter picked up his belongings, which there were very few of, dumped them in his backpack, and walked out the door.

Nora had too much stuff in her backpack, so it took her a while to pack up.

Mandark noticed Nora packing her things and walked over to her.

"You have a lot of effects," Mandark noted.

Nora looked at him. She and Mandark were friendly, but Nora got the feeling that Mandark didn't return her ardor.

"I need to clean out my backpack," Nora shrugged. "What can I say?"

Mandark touched her cheek. "You don't have to say anything."

Nora felt her heart beating a thousand times a minute. Before she knew it, his lips were against hers…

And someone was whacking her with a ruler.

"Nora, I can't believe you!" Natalie cried. It was, indeed, after class, and Dexter and Natalie had been trying to rouse her.

_A dream, _Nora thought. _Just a dream. Dang it._

The ruler thwacked her head again. Nora winced.

"Natalie… that hurt," Nora moaned.

"Well, if you need a siesta, you should do it earlier than that," Natalie scowled.

"You fell asleep with fifteen seconds left of class," Dexter explained.

Nora saw Mandark staring at the scene out of the corner of her eye, and then focused back to Dexter and Natalie.

"Sorry… but you still didn't need to whack me with a ruler," Nora grumbled. Natalie crossed her arms.

"Hurry up," Natalie ordered, and walked outside to wait for her. Dexter left, too.

Mandark watched Nora pack up her stuff. Nora was definitely grumbling about something.

Mandark wanted to ask Nora so many things. Like why her face always went a bit pink when he talked to her, why she wasn't with Carter, why it seemed like her life was a ploy, a curtain hiding her true self.

Mandark didn't have the guts to ask her any of these things. Nora had already left, anyway.

* * *

Nora was Instant Messaging Dee-Dee. She was kind of bored. Dee-Dee seemed ready to interrogate Nora, though.

FlowerChild45 (Dee-Dee's screen name) wrote, "Carter really loves you."

Eminem4Ever&Ever (Nora's screen name) replied, "How many times must I tell you I don't like Carter?"

FlowerChild45: "Then tell me WHO you like."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "No way."

FlowerChild45: "Aw, come on."

Nora felt ready to crack. For two months, she'd withheld the truth. Nora could just picture Dee-Dee leaning backwards in her chair in anticipation.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "OK, fine. As long as you promise not to tell."

FlowerChild45: "Sounds good. So… who is it?"

Nora inhaled deeply. She could see her beet-red reflection in her computer monitor. She looked a bit ugly. Nora could barely see her hands as she typed.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Okay, fine! I love Mandark Astronominov! Now stop bugging the crap outta me because of it! Don't tell a living soul, or I'll throw you in a bag and throw the bag into a wood chipper. Got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A few minutes later, Dee-Dee answered.

FlowerChild45: "Oh my gawd. No way. You LOVE that freak?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "You seem eager to meet the wood chipper."

FlowerChild45: "Wow, you seem really touchy."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I've only told one person before. Of course I'm touchy, snot head."

FlowerChild45: "Who'd ya tell?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "THAT is something you'll never know."

Nora pushed her interlocked hands upward. She stretched out her arms and waited patiently for Dee-Dee to respond.

FlowerChild45: "His screen name is BrokenBackpack678."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "BROKEN BACKPACK?????????????????"

FlowerChild45: "Yeah, BrokenBackpack678. What's the deal?"

_That was I, _Nora thought. _I had the broken backpack. It's kismet._

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Sorry. I thought that I had that on my Buddy List already."

Nora secretly IMed Mandark, when she was waiting for Dee-Dee to respond.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Hello, Mandark. It's Nora."

BrokenBackpack678: "Hello. How'd you get my screen name?"

FlowerChild45: (in the other screen) "NOW what are you doing?"

Nora hastily typed, "Sorry, my mom needs to check her email."

FlowerChild45: "Oh, okay. See ya."

Nora canceled Dee-Dee's box and focused on Mandark's.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I have my ways."

BrokenBackpack678: "You're a hacker?"

Nora shuddered nervously.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "No. I just picked it up from Dee-Dee."

BrokenBackpack678: "Oh. Why'd you pick that as your screen name?"

Nora blushed. She could see Mandark's head cock in interest. She didn't mean "me and Eminem forever", she meant "long live Eminem and let's hope he doesn't kill himself, like Kurt Cobain, and rob the world of another musical genius."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "It means long live Eminem, and let's hope he doesn't commit suicide."

BrokenBackpack678: "Oh, so you aren't in love with him, like every other girl on this continent."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "So what does your screen name mean?"

Nora already knew the answer, but she didn't want to act too smug.

BrokenBackpack678: "Remember the first day of school?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "How could I forget something as good as"

Nora completely freaked out. She tried to erase the message, but she ended up sending it.

"No! Stupid –" Nora pounded the screen. " – idiotic –" BANG " – kyaa!"

Mandark, anyways, wrote back.

BrokenBackpack678: "Uh…" Nora was seething at herself. She had to lie. Again. She was tired of lying to everyone.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "My brother wrote that. He loves to ruin my life."

Nora didn't mention that her brother was twenty-three and in an Air Force base in Florida. Mandark didn't need to know.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "But I do remember. So why's it your screen name?"

BrokenBackpack678: "… Actually… well… I just found the situation… amusing."

_He's lying, _Nora mused. _Look at all the pauses. Does he think I don't read manga? Everyone reads manga._

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Whoops. I gotta go."

BrokenBackpack678: "Oh well. See ya."

Nora logged off. She looked into the monitor. She was a woman transformed. Her eyes looked rounder and more confident, her face was red, but it looked cute, and her skin was a bit darker.

_That didn't just happen. I just haven't taken a good look in the mirror in a while. _Nora dismissed the transformation. But she wasn't quite sure.

* * *

"So I'll help you get together with him," Dee-Dee offered during Art. Nora was making a pot on the pottery wheel, but she stopped moving the wheel. Her foot wasn't pushing the pump anymore.

"Oh no," Nora stuttered. "I doubt he likes me. I can't just have you say, 'Oh, by the way, Nora loves you.' I'll do it myself."

"Today?" Dee-Dee asked.

"Oh God no!" Nora nearly screamed. "I meant if I tell him at all!"

Dee-Dee pouted. "Well, that won't get you a boyfriend."

Carter was in Beginning Art as well. He had somehow managed to slip a note into Nora's pot when she wasn't working. Nora peered into her vase and saw it. She pulled it out and read it to herself.

_Nora, Meet me at the wall that separates the junior high buildings from the outside world during Lunch. –Carter_

Nora gritted her teeth.

"What?" Dee-Dee inquired.

"I won't be eating with you at lunch today."

* * *

"Okay, Carter, what is it?" Nora asked impatiently.

Carter was pink. "Well, Nora, you probably know that… well… I love you."

_Maybe I should buy a shirt that says, "Sorry, I'm Not In Love With Carter Richardson", _Nora thought spitefully.

"What?" Nora responded.

"Nora." Carter grabbed her hands. There was no warm feeling. His hands were actually cold. "Will you go out with me?"

Nora didn't want to sound heartless.

"I'm… so sorry, Carter," Nora sighed. "I don't like you in that way… please forgive me."

Carter let go of Nora's hands. Nora would have breathed a sigh of relief, but she really didn't want to hurt Carter too much.

"What'll it take?" Carter asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Nora replied intelligently.

"I'll do anything you want!" Carter cried.

_Ugh._

Nora looked at him in disgust. "You know, I did respect you. But I told you the truth. I was trying to let you down easy…"

Nora flashed the evil eye to Carter. "I don't love you. Let's leave it at that."

Nora stomped off haughtily, breathing heavily and rubbing her hands to make them warm again.

* * *

"Did you hear?"

"Nora rejected Carter!"

"No way. NO girl has ever done that."

"They say she didn't like him, then Carter said he'd do anything."

"Anything? No wonder she didn't agree!"

"I still think it was stupid of her to not go out with him…"

Nora felt everyone's eyes on her as she entered math and took her seat.

"Congratulations," Dexter grinned wickedly, "you are now authoritatively the 'It Girl' at school."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab, 'Define "Normal"', "Angels and Demons", "The DaVinci Code", Eminem, Post-Its, or AOL Instant Messenger. Well, the list is shorter this chapter…

Ren: Idiot. Eminem's not a trademark.

Satine89: Shut up baby. (Kisses Ren on the cheek)

(Mandark starts to cry)

Kaiba: … I'm out of here.

A/N: Lil Riter owns Blue Eyes and partially owns the Adventures of M&M. Hah, I own part of M&M! Take that!

Ren: You are so frickin strange.

Mandark: (sniffle) I don't like you, Ren.

A/N: I worked hard to make this readable... so read it!


	3. Stupid Mistakes Lead to Nowhere

Stupid Mistakes Lead to Nowhere

Part Three of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

Nora seemed to garner even more attention than before for remaining single. Guys would pour their love letters into Nora's locker, but there was no letters from the guy Nora wanted to hear from most. When she Instant Messaged him, there was no sign of romantic ardor.

Nora watched as the fall season slowly came to a close, and one snowy day, she woke up with a newfound courage. It was nine in the morning. Looking into her mirror, she saw that her chest had grown. She was taller, and her hair was even silkier and more perfect than before. She had truly become gorgeous.

Nora plopped down into her computer chair and began to IM Natalie.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Natalie. You up?"

GirlFromIpanemaAge13 (Natalie's screen name) responded immediately. "You finally woke up. Nice."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I think that maybe today's the day."

GirlFromIpanemaAge13: "Day for WHAT?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "You know that guy I love but I won't tell you who it is?"

GirlFromIpanemaAge13: "Are you going to tell him you like him?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Bingo."

GirlFromIpanemaAge13: "I'm forwarding this conversation to Dee-Dee."

Nora waited patiently.

FlowerChild45: "I thought you'd never do that!"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "No school today. I figured I'd 'accidentally' bump into him inside the library."

FlowerChild45: "Nice. Now go do that. I'll tell Natalie you're off-line."

* * *

Nora put on her long, black, button-down jacket. She looked good. Nora prayed that everything would go well.

Nora began to walk to the library. _Please, God, I want this to work out…_

She was still walking, but she didn't notice that Mandark was walking as well.

_Oh God help me, I'm about to take the plunge…_

Nora wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to where she was going.

_I love him, God, and I pray that you shine your light on me, please let him love me…_

Nora ran smack into Mandark. Her library books flew everywhere, and his glasses went askew. Both of them landed flat on their backs.

Nora looked up, her face a strange mix of thankfulness and pain. Mandark looked back, his face looking definitely confused.

"Sorry," Nora finally said shakily. She was red in the face.

"Don't worry," Mandark smiled. Nora began to pick up her books, and thought that she had gotten them all. Mandark, however, handed her a novel, Blue Eyes.

"Don't forget this one," Mandark reminded her.

Nora's courage was still with her, so she went for broke.

"Actually, Mandark, I have to tell you something," Nora said.

Her face was becoming red, for sure. She could feel her heart beat in her chest crazily.

"Really?" Mandark inquired. "Is it important?"

_Of course it's important! Why else would I tell you?!_

"Yeah, I think so…"

Nora found that courage was deserting her.

"What is it?"

Nora looked into Mandark's eyes, and became furiously red in the face. "Uh… I like you, okay, bye!"

Nora sped off.

Mandark cocked his head.

"Um… I knew I was her friend," he mumbled to himself.

Dexter was outside too. "She is such a bag of nerves."

"I don't get it."

"Neither do I."

Mandark looked at Dexter. "I can't believe I'm talking to you."

"I'll pretend that I said nothing," Dexter snapped.

"Fine!" Mandark yelled.

"Fine!" Dexter yelled back.

They walked away from each other.

* * *

Nora pulled The Adventures of M&M out of a rack at the library when Ellen Rourke appeared out of nowhere and put a cold hand on Nora's shoulder.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Ellen said coolly.

"Why?" Nora asked. She faced the blonde teen. Ellen's brown eyes looked down in consternation at Nora.

"Why, you say? Because you hurt Carter!" Ellen yelled.

"Shh!" yelled a librarian.

"Sorry," Nora whispered back. Nora turned to Ellen. "That was a month ago."

"He's not over you yet," Ellen snarled. "Duh."

"What's your point?" Nora asked.

"You may think that everyone loves you, but most of us hate you," Ellen spat. "You can't sit with us. We're too good for you."

"What about Natalie?" Nora asked. She was beginning to get scared.

"She can't hang out with us either," Ellen snapped.

"But she didn't do anything!" Nora whispered loudly.

Ellen narrowed her eyes. "She hung out with you. That's bad enough."

Nora felt something bubble inside her. It was anger. But it was anger, as Nora had never felt it. It took over her system and shut off her brain.

Before Nora knew it, she had smacked Ellen in the face. No one noticed, because Nora was exceptionally quiet, but Ellen looked at Nora in disgust, rubbing her cheek.

"What was that for?" Ellen moaned.

"You won't have to put any blush on for a while," Nora spat before walking over to the checkout table.

* * *

Nora sat at her computer.

_Come on, Mandark, IM me or something, _Nora thought.

But Dee-Dee did IM her, and Nora nearly fell out of her chair.

FlowerChild45: "Did Mandark say he'd go out with you?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Uh… well… I told him really quick and ran away."

FlowerChild45: "Idiot."

Nora just wasn't in the mood. She logged off without saying good-bye. She was worried. Ellen had connections, and something really bad could – and probably would – happen to her and Natalie.

She looked into her mirror. She hated worry. She had a fear of the future.

Because usually the future hurt her. Inadvertently.

* * *

Dee-Dee had taken Nora on a grand tour of the house a few weeks before. Nora had been clutching a piece of lined paper when Dee-Dee showed Nora Dexter's lab.

"Wow," Nora gasped, dropping the paper underneath a table accidentally. "This place… it's wonderful…"

Dee-Dee shrugged. "I like running around and pushing buttons."

"It's like Heaven on earth," Nora sighed. "How can one person… build something like THIS?"

"I don't know," Dee-Dee admitted. "But I think it rocks too."

Nora was beaming. "If only my parents would let me do this…"

"Why wouldn't your parents let you?" Dee-Dee asked.

Nora stuck out her tongue. "My parents are paranoid. They're always afraid that I'll end up getting kidnapped or maimed… I don't get it."

"Why are they so… paranoid?" Dee-Dee inquired.

"It's just their nature," Nora grinned.

"Wow, harsh," Dee-Dee thought aloud. She immediately covered her mouth.

"Aw, don't worry," Nora smiled. "I think they're a bit unreasonable, too."

Dee-Dee led Nora to the other rooms, the little paper long forgotten.

* * *

Natalie watched Ellen write hateful words to her on her computer… nasty letters, things that she knew weren't true…

Natalie pressed the warn button, but the words kept coming. Natalie logged out. She didn't know what had gotten into Ellen. Ellen had been one of her best friends…

Natalie stared at her floor. A drop of water fell down. And then more. Natalie watched her tears splatter on the carpet.

_I must have made some stupid mistake… And stupid mistakes lead to nowhere… I have to pull through… but I can't…_

_I miss the old Ellen already… She was so nice to me, and peaceful… and she…_

_We're not friends anymore, though. She even said it._

Natalie ran things through in her mind, thinking about if she did anything. Besides the fact that everything stunk at the moment, nothing came to mind.

Natalie decided to call Nora. She dialed the numbers on her red phone and waited. The thing rang… and rang… and then someone picked it up.

"Hello, Nora?" Natalie asked, choking back a tear.

"Hey, Natalie," Nora responded. "Today stinks."

"Oh, yeah, it stinks bad," Natalie chuckled. "You first."

"Well, where do I start?" Nora pretended to think. "I'm in love with my best friend's brother's rival, and something tells me that when I told him, he had no idea. And then that little brat Ellen goes and tells me that all the popular people hate me, and I hit her, because she said something really out of line –"

"What'd she say?" Natalie interrupted.

Nora swallowed some spit. "She said she'd never speak to anyone connected with me ever again. And she acted repulsed when she was talking to me directly."

"That means she'll never talk to me again," Natalie sobbed. "I can't believe this… all over a stupid guy…"

"Natalie, I'm sorry!" Nora cried. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"

Natalie stopped her light sobs. "It's not your fault. You just don't like him. You love Mandark, with every fiber of your being you love him."

"Yes, but therein lies… wait!" Nora yelled. "How do you know? I never told you!"

"Duh," Natalie giggled. "You just TOLD me. Your best friend is Dee-Dee McPhearson. Her brother is Dexter; his rival, Mandark Astronominov. You're a complete idiot."

Nora felt her face burn a furious red. "Thanks a lot."

"What could anyone like about him?" Natalie scoffed. "He's strange."

Nora heard a beep on the other line. "Hey, want Dee-Dee to join us?"

"Heh, sure, why not?" Natalie smiled.

Nora manipulated the buttons on her phone, and soon, Dee-Dee was on the line.

"Hello, Dee-Dee," Nora grinned. "What happened to you today?"

"Ellen rejected me, said she never wants to talk to me again," Dee-Dee sighed. "Ah well. Didn't really like her anyway."

"We were kicked out, too," Natalie shrugged. "Join the crowd."

"And what were you guys talking about before I got here?" Dee-Dee asked.

"Oh, Nora let slip who she REALLY liked," Natalie giggled. Nora gritted her teeth.

"I already know, so counting Mandark himself and not counting Nora, four people do know," Dee-Dee rattled off. "Me, Natalie, Mandark, and someone else that Nora won't tell me about."

"Who?" Natalie asked.

Nora felt her heart begin to sink down her chest, and her stomach begin to go up her throat.

"None of your business," Nora responded matter-of-factly.

"Fine," Dee-Dee huffed. "I'll see you later."

Dee-Dee hung up.

"I should probably go too," Natalie said, her voice now filled with worry.

"All right, bye."

Nora hung the phone up.

_Great, _Nora thought. _Just peachy. How can I be stupid enough to tell Natalie that – and not even know it?_

Nora looked at the floor. _Ah well. I guess… everything will work out…_

_But I'm not sure.

* * *

_

_My beloved Dee-Dee, her beautiful frame and slender body… just once, I want her to acknowledge my existence, to flash those beautiful anime-esque eyes my way and smile at me… Her hair, as beautiful as the very sun itself, glittering like the aforementioned star, constantly bringing light to this world…_

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "What's up?"

Mandark looked into his computer screen.

_I've really got to stop dozing off so much… _Mandark thought. _Ever since Nora came here, I've been sleeping a lot… wonder why…_

BrokenBackpack678: "Thanks for waking me up."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I woke you up? Oh man, I'm SO sorry…!"

_Nora can be such a spaz, _Mandark thought. _But there's something about her…_

BrokenBackpack678: "It's really not a problem…"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I swear, I didn't mean to… oh, if it wasn't a problem, then I guess it's fine… but I still feel bad."

Mandark felt his face redden.

_What the heck is going on? The only time I've ever blushed was in the face of Dee-Dee…_

BrokenBackpack678: "Look, it's fine. What's up with you?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Oh, nothing much. Just bored out of my skull."

A little voice inside Mandark's head was saying, _come on. Ask her if she's doing anything tonight._

The rational voice in Mandark's head responded immediately. _Am I crazy? I've worshipped Dee-Dee ever since I set eyes on her, she of beauty and unsurpassed grace, and now…_

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Still there?"

BrokenBackpack678: "Oh, yes. Sorry."

Mandark waited for Nora to reply. He decided not to think about anything, since the two voices in his head were arguing with each other and giving Mandark a headache.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Sorry. My favorite song is on ODHR. I just love this song. I don't even know why…"

Mandark, without thinking, twiddled the dial on his radio. It hit ODHR, and he heard an older song.

_Nights of light, so soon become_

_Wild and free, I could feel the sun_

_Your every wish will be done_

_They tell me…_

_Show me the meaning of being lonely_

_Is this the feeling I need to walk with_

_Tell me why I can't be there where you are_

_There's something missing in my heart_

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I'm such a dork, for liking the Backstreet Boys… wow, I feel stupid…"

Mandark rubbed his head. The headache was going away, with the music soothing it.

BrokenBackpack678: "If you liked Hilary Duff, I might call you a dork."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Ha ha ha! Me, like Hilary Duff? That's a good one…"

BrokenBackpack678: "You don't seem like a girl who'd listen to bubblegum music, anyway."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "No way. Never. I'd be betraying my screen name."

Mandark smirked for no reason at all.

_What is wrong with me?! _Mandark thought desperately.

BrokenBackpack678: "Oh, sorry, I have to get off."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Oh well. See ya."

Mandark logged off, and then sat in that chair for a while, just thinking and listening to the music.

_Why Nora? _Mandark thought. _I don't understand. I love Dee-Dee, and yet, all I can think about right is Nora…_

_And what did she mean when she said she liked me, and ran off, point-blank?_

Mandark cradled his head in his hands. He couldn't figure out why his mind had suddenly decided to play such a nasty trick on him.

_I like this… but I don't like this…_

_For the first time in my life… I don't understand.

* * *

_

Dexter shoved a handful of floppy disks under a large stack of useless papers. He was always making sure that Dee-Dee couldn't get to – and destroy – important documents.

Dexter blinked. On the ground, underneath a table, there was a lone piece of white lined paper. Dexter picked it up and unfolded the little paper.

It had been written a while ago, Dexter could tell. And on the paper was a simple little heart.

Inside the heart was Mandark's name.

"Whose is this?' Dexter asked no one in particular.

Dexter remembered something.

_"Dexter, can you keep a secret?"_

_"Keep a secret? Is it something important?"_

_"It is to me."_

_"All right then. What is it?"_

_Nora was very red, like her face had gotten burned, and her eyes had completely glassed over._

_"Well… I like Mandark."_

"Oh dear…" Dexter shuddered. "Oh dear… oh dear… oh dear…"

Dee-Dee banged through the laboratory door.

"Hiya Dexter! What're you doing?" Dee-Dee asked.

Dexter didn't even hear her, too intent on the paper. Dee-Dee looked over Dexter's shoulder.

"Oh wow! You like Mandark?" Dee-Dee gasped.

_Love triangle! _Dee-Dee thought happily.

"No, stoopid!" Dexter yelled. "I found this in here."

_Aw man, no love triangle._

Dee-Dee vaguely recalled bringing Nora into Dexter's lab, and then covered her mouth with her hands.

"What is it?" Dexter inquired.

"I remember! I brought Nora in here and she must have dropped it!" Dee-Dee giggled.

Dexter was becoming angered. "You brought her in here?"

"Well, I was giving her the tour," Dee-Dee shrugged. "This is part of the house, isn't it?"

Dexter remembered something else.

_"Really?" Mandark inquired. "Is it important?"_

_"Yeah, I think so…"_

_"What is it?"_

_Nora looked into Mandark's eyes, and became furiously red in the face. "Uh… I like you, okay, bye!"_

_Nora sped off._

_Mandark cocked his head._

_"Um… I knew I was her friend," he mumbled to himself._

_Dexter was outside too. "She is such a bag of nerves."_

"Oh God!" Dexter yelled before curling into the fetal position and shaking furiously.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab, or AOL Instant Messenger, Hilary Duff, the Backstreet Boys, 'Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely', or Blue Eyes (Lil Riter). I partly own the Adventures of M&M (again with Lil Riter.) (I accidentally wrote that disclaimer for part two. Oh well.)

Ren: The fetal position…?

Kaiba: I find myself interested in this story… what's the world coming to…

(Mandark is too busy reading really random fics and cannot come to the computer right now, for those of you who are curious.)


	4. My Dear, Ist Kaput

My Dear, Ist Kaput…

Part Four of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

There was only one week until winter vacation. Nora was ready for a break. Between the intense stares of Ellen and her cronies and her never-waning love for Mandark, she needed a serious break.

In Art, Dee-Dee and she were working on a clay diorama. They were both skillfully adept with clay.

There were flowers and grass, and trees even. Nora was working on a tiny rabbit.

"That's really cute," Dee-Dee grinned. The little clay rabbit flashed a happy smile at Nora.

"Thank you, Dee-Dee," Nora smiled. Nora looked at Dee-Dee's happy sun. "The sun looks awesome."

"Thanks," Dee-Dee answered. She rolled some more clay for one of the sun's rays. "Hey, Nora, guess what?"

Nora's stomach felt queasy for no reason.

"What?" Nora asked.

"They're doing a Secret Santa thing! Wanna do it?" Dee-Dee was really excited.

And even though Nora's brain was telling her otherwise, Nora agreed to it.

-----

Natalie had organized the Secret Santa table in the first hallway between the third and fourth bathrooms. A little red jar sat in front of Natalie, and paper and pencils were scattered all over the table.

"Come on, Nora," Natalie smiled. "What have you got to lose?"

"Dee-Dee?" Nora grinned.

"Did it this morning." Dee-Dee was grinning, too.

Nora wrote her name on a slip of paper, and almost stuck it in the jar when she thought better of it.

"I don't want to risk picking my own name," Nora thought aloud, so she pulled a name before putting in her own.

Nora unfolded the minute piece of paper, and almost hurled when she saw the name.

_Carter Richardson, _Nora thought with a heavy heart. _This'll be interesting._

Nora and Dee-Dee walked away from the booth, tittering like schoolgirls usually did. A little while later, Mandark walked up to the booth.

"Come on," Natalie edged Mandark on.

Mandark wrote his name on a slip and, like Nora, picked a paper from the jar first. He put his in, and then looked at the name he had picked.

_Nora Debussi, _Mandark read to himself. _Hmm…_

_-----_

"I'm going to bake cookies!" Natalie yelled. Nora plugged her ears, and Dee-Dee clapped her hands in delight.

"Yeah! That sounds awesome!" Dee-Dee grinned.

"Ah… my Secret Santa is Carter Richardson, people," Nora sighed. "I can't have people thinking I like him."

"Ah well," Dee-Dee shrugged. "I've got Ellen Rourke. It's not like I like her either."

"Ana Hikaru," Natalie added.

"Oh, well," Dee-Dee smiled. "Let's just have fun baking these things, and stick them in those guys' lockers."

"Sounds like fun." Natalie looked at Nora. "Come on. Let's do this."

Nora looked around the McPhearson's sitcom-esque kitchen. It was spotless. Absolutely spotless. Nora had no idea how to make toast without making the toaster smoke… so how bad would the cookies become?

"All right, I guess…" Nora agreed cautiously.

Dee-Dee began to sing a nonsense song as she took out some cookie dough. Natalie watched Nora as she washed her hands in the steel sink.

"I bet you're depressed cuz you didn't pick Mandark's name. Oh well, can't be helped."

Nora froze. "What?"

"Mandark came to the booth a few minutes after you did…" Natalie noted the look of wide-eyed surprise on Nora's face. "Look, I don't know who he picked."

Nora turned off the faucet with a surprising amount of force.

"I got the cookie dough!" Dee-Dee yipped happily.

Nora beamed. "Okay!"

Dee-Dee opened the tub. All three girls stared inside the tub. The smell of peanut butter was overwhelming, and the girls wanted to eat the tub of dough.

"We should probably start," Dee-Dee suggested.

Natalie and Nora murmured in accord, and they reached their hands into the tub and began to roll the dough into balls.

Dee-Dee plopped a tiny ball onto an oven tray. "I still can't believe you like Mandark, of all people."

"What do you like about him, anyway?" Natalie asked as she put her dough ball on the tray.

Nora placed her ball on the tray and scooped out some more dough. "Okay. Let's start at the basics. He's smart."

"Right," Dee-Dee noted, rolling some dough between her palms.

"He exudes that oddly attracting gothic attitude…"

Natalie cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"

"He's into the darkness. The darkness… I love the dark… it's strangely inviting. I mean, I've never been a child of the light."

Dee-Dee shivered. "Now you're scaring me."

"All gothic and all?" Natalie was intrigued. "Tell me more about the darkness and stuff…"

Nora put another ball of dough on the tray. "I don't know why he's so bleak, but I'm bleak because of… of my past."

"But you don't wear all black," Dee-Dee pointed out.

Nora gritted her teeth. "My parents. They force me to look 'presentable', as they say."

"Your parents didn't name you anything weird, right?" Dee-Dee asked cautiously. "Like… Robert or something?"

"No," Nora laughed. "Why'd you say that?"

_Try not to laugh, _Dee-Dee thought. But she laughed anyway. Natalie laughed, too. All three of them placed lumps of peanut butter cookie dough on the oven tray, and laughed for no reason.

-----

"We managed not to burn the house down," Nora sighed happily.

"Were you expecting a fire?" Dee-Dee asked.

"These cookies look delicious, guys," Natalie mused. "Can I try one?"

"Okay, sure," Dee-Dee shrugged.

Natalie picked up one of the golden-brown cookies and bit into it. She smiled, and licked her lips.

"They're great," Natalie cooed.

"No way!" Nora screamed. She hugged Dee-Dee. "I actually made food that tastes GOOD!"

"Okay, you can't cook," Dee-Dee nodded. "I get it."

"Now, let's divide these up and make a few bags of them," Natalie suggested.

-----

Nora had walked away with three bags of cookies, just like Dee-Dee and Natalie. She was walking across the street, smiling happily.

_I can cook, I can cook…_

And, of course, Natalie was paying no attention to her surroundings, so when she stood in the middle of the sidewalk, she had no idea that Mandark was also paying little to no attention to where he was going.

Mandark ran smack into Nora. Nora and Mandark, needless to say, became aware of their surroundings immediately.

"Ow," Nora moaned under her breath.

"Sorry," Mandark apologized. He rubbed his forehead. Mandark was pretty tall, and Nora was about his height. He had no idea why he had just realized that.

"Hey, I just baked some cookies," Nora smiled. Her day was going too good to worry about her huge crush showing. "Want some?"

"Thank you," Mandark said, when Nora handed him one of the little blue bags. Nora skipped off.

"See you later, Mandark!" she yelled as she skipped away.

Mandark rubbed his head. "See you too, Nora…"

-----

Nora clutched one of the small blue bags firmly in her hand. She was still a bit confused about what she had done the day before.

_I can't believe it… I gave him some of them and I didn't even blush or feel like hurling or anything… guess things went well…_

Nora knew exactly where Carter's locker was. Dee-Dee, Mee-Mee, and Lee-Lee were there, like they said. Nora handed them the bag, with the tag on it, to them. Lee-Lee twiddled the combination lock, and the locker opened. Inside were a few books, a deodorant stick, and a BMX magazine. Dee-Dee stuck the cookies into his locker, and gave Nora the thumbs-up sign.

Nora skipped off to her own locker. She opened it up and found that she had left her poetry notebook in there.

It was a black book; adorned with black mesh ribbon, silver studs and hoops, and a splattering of offsetting red paint.

Nora shivered. If anyone read that book… her whole life would be exposed.

Nora took her backpack and shoved the poetry notebook inside, and shut the locker.

-----

Ellen fixed Nora with a hard gaze as she walked into her classroom.

"Now I know why you're such a brat," Ellen smirked.

Nora cocked her head. "What are you trying to say?"

Elle pushed a magazine article to Nora. Dexter took notice and tried to read over Nora's shoulder. (This was futile, for Nora was as tall as Mandark.)

_Nora Debussi, soon to be thirteen years of age, will inherit her parent's fortune at age eighteen, says her father, famed businessman Ian Debussi. Mr. Debussi's net worth is over two billion dollars, and Nora's mother, Amelie Natur-Debussi, is worth over $200 million. _

_Ian's company, the casino chain Debutante-Debussi Ltd., is one of the most successful companies in American history._

Nora didn't say anything.

_No… _Nora thought. _No one else can know…_

"You act like a spoiled prat," Ellen shrugged. "I didn't know you _were_ a spoiled prat."

The article began to shake in Nora's hands. Nora's mouth was twitching at the corners.

Natalie was now near Nora too. "Wow, you never told us that…"

"That's because I didn't want anyone to know," Nora said, in a voice barely at a whisper.

"It should have been obvious," Ellen grinned malevolently. "I mean, you dress like a model, act like a diva –"

"SHUT UP!"

Nora no longer had any control over herself, and she socked Ellen in the face. A sickening cracking noise ensued, but Ellen's face was fine, save a little red mark.

Nora looked at her own fingers. They were covered in her own blood, and she couldn't move them.

"Ah…" Nora's eyes dilated as she dropped the article on the ground. Dexter picked it up promptly and looked over it.

Plip. A drop of Nora's blood fell to the floor, breaking the uneasy silence. But still no one talked.

Nora felt an impalpable shadow fall over her entire body. The darkness was consuming her soul once again…

Or so Nora thought. She had really blacked out.

-----

Plip. Plip. Plip.

Nora sprang out of the bed in the nurse's office.

_I'm bleeding so badly, I can hear it!__  
_Nora looked at her hand. It had been bandaged, but Nora still couldn't move her fingers.

_Well, glad I socked her with my left hand, _Nora thought. _I can still do my schoolwork._

Nora looked around the nurse's office. The 'plip' noise was coming from the faucet, dripping steadily. Nora, once again, was reminded of sitcom-esque perfection, as she looked around the spotless infirmary.

Nora's backpack was by her bed. Nora had the sudden urge to go through it. There was nothing out of the ordinary inside of it.

On Nora's bedside table, there were a few notes from friends. Nora picked up one, written on pink paper adorned with flowers and happy stuff.

_Dee-Dee's, _Nora thought with a smile.

_Nice work, _the note read. _Ellen deserved it. I wish that it were her nose instead of your hand, but whatever. _

_Wow, over two billion dollars. I can see why you kept that a secret. Imagine how many gold-diggers would have been after you, kind of like Josh Richter in 'The Princess Diaries'._

_Oh, well. A lot of people hate you now, but me and Lee-Lee and Mee-Mee and Natalie still think you're the bomb._

_Dee-Dee_

Nora smiled as she tenderly put the note back on her bedside table, and picked up one on plain white paper, scrawled in a green pen. Nora knew this immediately to be Natalie's.

_I was the person cracking up when you socked Ellen. You go girl! Anyway, sorry about your hand. It was so romantic though, because when you fell over (I'm assuming you fainted), Mandark caught you. I bet you're turning red as you read this, cuz that's the kind of thing you'd do. Life goes on… _

_…Sort of. Two billion dollars, eh? That's a ton. What on earth would YOU do with that? Buy yourself DSL? I can't think of anything _you_ want that you could actually buy, besides DSL. I mean, you can't buy Mandark, can you? I don't know… You can't, right?_

_Natalie_

Nora laughed at that one. Nora assumed you couldn't buy a person.

But Mandark had broken her fall, a fall that would have definitely hurt her. Nora did blush.

Nora picked up another piece of lined paper. The neat handwriting led her to believe it was from Dexter.

_Ellen Rourke's reign of torment has finally ended, thanks to you. We are all free; free from the pitiless anguish we have endured under that wicked girl! A triumph at best!_

_The little red mark on her nose makes her look much more revolting than before. Her face matches her heart… heh…_

_Don't worry about the money. I think everyone's talking about you punching Ellen, not that you're an heiress. _

_Dexter_

Nora saw another piece of paper. It was black, and it looked like it had been taken out of her poetry notebook…

_Oh man…_

Nora took the black piece of paper. The note, as it turned out, had not been one of her poems, but a letter written in a white pencil, so the words would show up on the dark paper.

_This handwriting is vaguely familiar, but I don't know whose it is._

_Dear Nora, _(the note read) _Sorry about your hand. It looked pretty bad. The nurse said that you'd need to go to the doctor to get your hand in a cast, but she said that the hand was remarkably unbroken. (That didn't make much sense to me, either.)_

_When you fainted, Natalie, Dexter and I took you down to the nurse. You were really light – please tell me you aren't anorexic or anything._

_Anyway, the teacher is pretty mad at both you and Ellen. And the story's spread through the school pretty rapidly. Bunches of popular people hate you for socking their ringleader (oh well, a few more people you don't need to speak to), but most of the school thinks you're brilliant. _

_Dexter's a bit mad that he didn't think of it himself. So I laughed at him, and then we started arguing…_

_I still can't believe that you're worth so much money. How could you have kept that from us? It didn't even show. You aren't spoiled, or extravagant, or anything along those lines…_

There were a lot of eraser marks after that. Nora squinted her eyes to try and make out what had been written, but it was no use.

_Hope you feel better._

_Mandark_

"Oh my God," Nora gasped.

_He knows you're alive. He's concerned about you. He…_

_Argued with Dexter. Well, that's no surprise._

Nora stuck the letter in her breast pocket. She felt a bit better about her hand.

The blood-soaked bandage was a bit offsetting, but Nora felt a warm sensation work its way over her body.

It was true love.

-----

"My life, my dear, _ist kaput_…"

"Look, it's not that bad," Lee-Lee rubbed Nora's back.

"We don't care how rich you are," Dee-Dee noted.

"Only a total brat would care about that," Mee-Mee encouraged Nora.

"_Ist kaput_… why'd my dad do that?" Nora moaned.

"Will you stop speaking random German?" Natalie complained.

"Say that again, _schwein_," Nora snapped.

"Oh come on, Nora," Dee-Dee sighed. "It can't be that bad."

"I don't like casinos," Nora mumbled.

Mee-Mee blinked. "What's that paper in your pocket?"

Nora froze. "It's nothing, Mee-Mee."

"Hey," Dee-Dee smirked. "Are you lying?"

"It's one of my poems," Nora huffed.

"Read it for us," Lee-Lee giggled.

Nora narrowed her eyes. _It's a good thing that I have one of my poems memorized._

Nora unfolded the paper, making sure that no one saw the real contents, and recited from memory.

_Where are you going without me?_

_Why can't you help me through?_

_Leave me for broke on the sidewalk,_

_Using me as a wager in your game,_

_I told myself tomorrow would be dismal without you,_

_But then I saw the person I should be with_

_It wasn't you, of course not, but even though I'm_

_Being reborn in a love I swore I'd never have again,_

_I think I'll follow the darkness still_

_Even though happiness may have found its way to me,_

_You can never be too sure of what grim things_

_Come out from their hiding spots during the day_

_So here you are, dear reader,_

_Glimpsing into my life,_

_I really don't seem like a dismal person up front, do I?_

Nora put the paper back into her breast pocket.

Natalie, Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee stared at Nora blankly.

"Wow," Natalie said.

"And I thought my life was over back then," Nora said under her breath.

Mandark sighed. It wasn't his letter…

-----

Nora Instant Messaged Mandark one simple sentence.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Of course I eat, idiot."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab... or AOL IM (once again)... okay?


	5. Nothing Out of Place

Nothing Out of Place

Part Five of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

"Nora, please. You look like a druggie."

"I do not, Amelie."

"You aren't the least bit presentable."

"Mom! Please let me be!"

"You can't walk out dressed like that. You'll dishonor the family!"

"I don't care!"

Nora stormed out the doorway. She didn't care what her mother said. Any other person would have said that her clothes looked fine. She was only wearing black pants with a black long-sleeved shirt and her black button-down jacket.

Nora spoke the truth to her mother. She didn't care. It was only Thursday, leaving one more day to go before the two-week free-for-all known as winter break.

Nora felt the heavy weight of her backpack on her spine, the small cast on her left hand, the black piece of paper in her pant's pocket. Everything she stood for, everything her parents forced her not to be, was pushing at her skull, trying to get out.

_I don't hate them, _Nora thought rationally. _I just hate their principles. I can't dress the way I want. I can't act the way I want…_

_I'm afraid they won't let me love the one I want._

Nora pushed the door to the school open. Immediately Dee-Dee, Mee-Mee, and Lee-Lee ganged up on her.

"Only one more day!" Lee-Lee grinned.

"No more Ellen breathing down our backs!" Mee-Mee beamed.

"And only one more day to find a winter love!" Dee-Dee smiled with a wink. Nora narrowed her eyes.

"You think I'm going to actually ask him out?" Nora sighed. "No, I can't do that."

Nora, Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee walked over to Nora's locker.

"Oh come on, Nora," Lee-Lee shrugged. "Take a few risks."

"No," Nora pressed, her face beet red.

"Don't you want him?" Dee-Dee giggled.

"Will you shut up?" Nora scowled.

"Why are you so touchy about it?" Mee-Mee asked curiously.

Nora sighed again. She twiddled the combo lock on her locker.

"I just don't want other people to know," Nora admitted. "It's supposed to be between two people, not twenty. Little late for that, though."

The locker door yielded. Nora stared inside for a few minutes.

"What is it?" Dee-Dee finally asked.

Nora pulled out a single red rose, and her face completely flushed.

"Who's it from?" Mee-Mee asked excitedly.

"It… doesn't say…" Nora could barely speak.

"Hey, there's something else in there." Dee-Dee reached in, but Nora whacked her with her cast-covered hand.

"Ow," Dee-Dee moaned, as Nora pulled out a CD in a plastic case.

"Wonder what's on it?" Lee-Lee shrugged.

Nora procured a CD player from the confines of her locker, put the CD in, and placed a pair of headphones firmly on her ears.

"What else is in there?" Mee-Mee asked, gazing into Nora's locker.

Nora pressed the play button and listened. She was pretty silent, but she had an odd smile on her face. She put the rose (in plain view) in her locker, pulled out her binder, gently shoved the binder into her backpack, and closed the locker door.

"Hello, Nora?" Dee-Dee waved a hand in front of Nora's face.

"I love this song," Nora bluntly replied. Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee stared oddly at Nora. Nora was swaying to the rhythm of the song.

Dee-Dee lifted the headphones off of Nora's ears. "Come on. You'll be late to your class."

Nora pressed the stop button grudgingly, and twirled the combination lock on her locker again.

"I don't understand," Nora said incredulously. "I don't think I've ever told anyone what music I like. But my favorite song of all time is on here…"

"What's your favorite song of all time?" Dee-Dee asked as Nora put her CD player away.

"Promise not to laugh, okay?" Nora asked.

"Sure."

"Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely."

"That Backstreet Boys song?"

"I know, it sounds really dorky… Sorry. If I don't hurry, I'll be late. See ya."

Nora walked off to her class.

---

Nora rested her head on a brick wall during nutrition. She was listening to the CD. It was a vibrant mix of all her favorites… there was classical, Eminem (of course), pop, even an obscure Japanese song she loved but couldn't pronounce the title of.

_I don't think I've ever told anyone about _all _of these songs, _Nora thought.

Nora felt her black jacket billow in the wind. She closed her eyes and relaxed, occasionally singing softly to herself.

Mandark saw Nora, relaxing against the brick wall. He smiled, and walked away.

---

"What are you going to do over Winter Break?" Natalie asked Nora in English class.

"Sleep," Nora responded matter-of-factly. "Something I haven't been able to do for months."

"Ah," Natalie laughed.

"What's so funny?" Nora scowled.

In English, they were supposed to be writing an autobiographical incident. Nora knew exactly what to write about, though.

The teacher said that the best three from each class would be read. Nora didn't think too much about that. One, the teacher said she wouldn't read names. Two, Nora didn't think she was that good a writer. So Nora jotted down her memory, painful as it was, and at the end of the period, she turned it in.

---

_Life is something you can't redo. _Nora didn't know why, but that thought was stuck in her head.

Dexter and her were working together in math, again. Everyone was a bit depressed that partners were going to change after the break (except for Ellen Rourke, who hated her partner). Dexter and Nora wrote down the various problems and solved them when Dexter said something.

"I found something in my laboratory that I believe is yours," Dexter started.

"Really?" Nora was a bit interested. "What was it?"

Dexter narrowed his eyes. "It was a piece of paper, with a heart on it, and…"

"Great," Nora interrupted Dexter. "I know what you're talking about."

"Do you really love him?" Dexter inquired. "I find it rather perplexing that someone like you would_ like _someone like him…"

"A bit of advice," Nora responded. "The heart can't be controlled."

Dexter drew a blank, but nodded. "All right."

Nora pretended to work on her math, but Dexter knew that she was really staring at someone…

---

"Nora, why did you go to school like that?" Amelie asked her only daughter.

"Because I wanted to wear this," Nora responded. Amelie snorted. She adjusted the strap on her silver-blue cocktail dress and stared at Nora with her cool emerald-green eyes.

"You really are very impulsive," Amelie sighed. "It isn't the influence of someone at your school, is it?"

"No, mom," Nora scowled.

"There has to be someone at that school you have a crush on," Amelie pressed the matter.

Nora didn't like lying to her mother. "Actually, there is."

"Really?"

"His name is Mandark Astronominov," Nora admitted. "He's very smart."

"I see," Amelie nodded her head. "What else is there… about him?"

Nora was afraid to tell her mother about Mandark. _There's no way she'd approve of him. Not a chance she'd approve._

"He is very kind to me, his worst enemy is Dee-Dee's brother, Dexter McPhearson, and –"

"Dee-Dee's brother?" Amelie interrupted. "Dee-Dee's your best friend, correct?"

"Yes, mom," Nora answered.

"Continue."

"- And he is a bit gothic, and maybe he does have a rule-the-world complex, but he is really sweet, and he helped me when my backpack broke, and he…"

"He's not suitable," Amelie said point-blank. Nora knew it.

"What?" Nora asked.

"This young man is obviously very unstable," Amelie explained, "as demonstrated by his gothism and his annihilative attitude, which is what you said in kinder words, so don't argue."

"A rule-the-world complex is not the same as an annihilative attitude, mom," Nora pointed out.

"That is beside the point, Nora," Amelie scowled. "All of your choices in men are severely flawed, as demonstrated in previous outings, and I'm lead to believe we will have to arrange a marriage for you."

Nora's jaw dropped. "Mom, you can't do that."

"Well, convince me otherwise. Do you really like this Mandark?"

"Mom, I don't like him."

"But you just said –"

"I love him."

Amelie narrowed her eyes as she looked at Nora. "You don't know what love is."

"Well, okay. I obsess over him. Does that sound better to you, mom?" Nora asked curiously.

"Fine, say you love him. I don't care," Amelie shook her head. "But if you give me or your father any reason not to trust him, believe me, we won't trust him."

Nora walked out of the room.

_Just like I thought. She won't even give him a chance, and she's never met him. If everyone I knew had to conform to her standards, I wouldn't be allowed to talk to the Pope._

Nora shut her bedroom door. She watched her calendar swing back and forth on a peg on the back of her door.

_They probably want me to date the Prince of Monaco or an actor or something._

Nora focused on the day that was still to come – Friday, the last day before Winter Break. She was so eager to get out of that school, away from Ellen, away from everything she hated…

Nora flopped down on her bed with a smile.

_Maybe I can finally make that dartboard with Ellen's face on it._

---

"Friday!" Nora yelled. Dee-Dee joined Nora's euphoria.

"No homework!" Dee-Dee cried.

"No Ellen!" Natalie screamed.

"No more teachers!" Mee-Mee raised her fist in happiness.

"And we've all managed to stay single!" Lee-Lee grinned.

Nora, Dee-Dee, Natalie, and Mee-Mee glared at her.

Nora laid her head on her locker. "Lee-Lee, you jerk."

"What'd I do?" Lee-Lee asked exasperatedly.

"Oh, just reminded me of the fact I have little to no courage when it comes to _him_," Nora sighed.

"What's with her?" Lee-Lee asked Dee-Dee.

Dee-Dee smiled. "She can't ask him out herself because she's too chicken."

"I'm not chicken," Nora retorted. "I'm scared."

"Oh," Natalie said.

Dee-Dee was looking around the hall when she spotted someone. "Mandark's coming."

Natalie smiled wickedly. "Okay, let's go."

"See ya, Nora!"

"Catch ya later!"

"Bye!"

"What?" Nora screamed. "What are you doing?"

Nora fumed silently. _Idiots!_

"Hello Nora," Mandark greeted Nora. Nora turned around quickly.

"Hello Mandark," Nora replied. "What's new?"

"Last day of school. Finally, two weeks to do what we want."

"I'm actually going to sleep," Nora smiled. "What are you going to do?"

_Plot the demise of my nemesis! _Mandark thought immediately.

"Work on independent projects," Mandark answered.

Nora brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Anyway… thanks for the note."

Mandark smiled. "Does your hand feel better?"

"Yeah, I guess. But sometimes, my hand itches, and it's not like I can do anything about it, because it's in a cast…" Nora giggled. "I'm babbling, aren't I?"

"I don't care," Mandark shrugged.

"You know, you're really kind," Nora noticed.

Then the lights shut off in the hall.

"Hmm?" Nora murmured.

Nora could barely see her hand in front of her face. She heard the click of someone flipping a light switch, but no light came.

"Power's out," said the voice of Ellen Rourke. "This bites."

"Darkness," Nora whispered, her eyes closed and her lips forming a malevolent grin.

"I like the dark," Mandark sighed. "It's… so…"

"Inviting?" Nora offered. "Yeah, I know."

Nora shuttered. "Okay, I'm gonna need a flashlight if I want to get to class."

"The bell hasn't rung yet," Mandark reminded Nora. She could've sworn she felt a hand rest on her hip.

"Oh yeah," Nora smiled. She felt someone pull her towards another person.

If it hadn't been so dark, Nora would have realized that the person doing this was Mandark a while before.

"I'm kind of scared…" Nora admitted.

Mandark kissed Nora, for reasons even _he_ didn't know, and pulled away a few seconds later. Nora could barely breathe. Her face, if anyone could have seen it, was crimson red.

"Was that you?" Nora asked stupidly.

"Yes," Mandark answered, equally as bemused.

"Do you like me… as more than a friend?" Nora asked.

_Nora looked into Mandark's eyes, and became furiously red in the face. "Uh… I like you, okay, bye!"_

"I think so," Mandark responded as he let go of Nora. Nora was breathing slowly as the power came back on.

"Light!" Ellen smirked.

Nora heard the bell ring. "I'll see you later…"

"Yes, same here…"

---

"Nora!" Natalie slapped Nora upside the head with a ruler.

"Natalie, wazzat for?" Nora slurred.

"You've been either half-asleep or daydreaming half of the period!" Natalie sighed. "What's up with you?"

"Nothin' important," Nora said. She was having an immense amount of trouble paying attention. But it is rather hard to pay attention when someone you've loved for close to five months kisses you.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Natalie asked. Nora smiled.

"Of course I'm all right," Nora laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Natalie said nothing.

---

_I was so happy back then. Everything was vibrant, everything was just perfect. Nothing was out of place when he was around. I thought we would always be together – never to leave each other's side, not until death do us part. That's what I thought, even though we were pretending._

_He was from the wrong side of the tracks. He wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't poor, either. He was just a bit unsure about what his purpose in life was. He told me that I was a great wife, even though we weren't really married. We weren't even really going out._

_But when others interfere with a perfect existence, something imperfect is bound to happen. Just when him and I were ready to finally admit that we weren't just pretending, two people struck us down._

_Those two people who had meticulously raised me to their standards, the ones I thought truly loved me, my own parents, told me that I could never see him again. But I was too young, too in love with that cute fourth grader, to really understand what on earth they meant._

_But they told him all these lies, all these things about me that I would have never expected my own parents to say. They were cruel, unjust, and…_

_They ripped out my heart without anesthesia, smashed it with a mallet, and chucked it into the ocean. At least, that's how it felt. When that cute fourth grader told me that he was scared of my parents and myself, he ran from me. I cried for so many days._

_Loneliness consumed my system. I became a slave to the darkness, a morbid princess, at the end of fourth grade. I hated everything around me, my seemingly perfect existence shattered by cruelty and lies. In fifth grade, things didn't improve. I was wearing all black every day, scaring my dearest friends, and offending my parents._

_Depression hurts. It would have hurt less if I had brought it upon myself, instead of others handing it to me._

"I wonder who wrote that?" Ellen Rourke asked aloud. Her eyes were a mess of tears. The story had definitely reached her heartstrings.

By the looks of it, Ellen wasn't the only one who was touched by it. Natalie was sniffling, and a few others were shocked by such a tale.

Nora knew the rest of the story, the part she didn't write.

_They told me I was to move at the beginning of sixth grade. I didn't care. As long as I could get away from the life they ruined for me, I would be fine._

_Now I realize that this event may be repeating itself again. Once again, I have found love, and this time I _know_ that we were made for each other. _

_And, once again, my mother doesn't approve of my choice. Once again, I'll have to act behind her back, so I can finally live out a fantasy that has swirled in my head for so long._

Nora smiled. _But I don't know the end of the story._

"Wasn't that beautiful?" Natalie asked Nora.

"It was so morbid," Nora offered. "They obviously weren't making this up."

"They should make a movie about that," Natalie cooed. "It'd make a fortune."

_And I know who'd make the perfect villains._

Mandark breathed slowly. He had never heard a story even remotely like it. A girl and a guy, not threatened by friends, but by their own families, causing immeasurable heartache and a spiraling descent to the throes of gothic obsession.

He'd never heard a story so true to life, either.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab! Yay! Oh, and thanks, Vindaloo, for reviewing this! I feel happy now!

Mandark: The blender makes you feel happy.

(Satine socks Mandark.)


	6. January Sky

January Sky

Part Six of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

Two weeks later, Nora returned to school, along with Dee-Dee, Mee-Mee, Lee-Lee, and Natalie. Natalie was still talking about Nora's autobiographical incident, even though Nora hadn't told anyone it was her story.

"I can't get it out of my head," Natalie cooed. "_They ripped out my heart without anesthesia, smashed it with a mallet, and chucked it into the ocean. At least, that's how it felt._ That was so powerful."

"Oh, man, I can't wait to find what I left in my locker over break," Nora sniggered. Dee-Dee laughed.

"You have the miracle locker," Dee-Dee pointed out.

"Really?" Nora inquired. "Why do you say that?"

"There's so much stuff in there, it's a miracle it all fits," Dee-Dee smiled. Nora groaned.

"Bad joke."

Nora turned the combo lock on her locker again. Amazingly enough, she still remembered her combination. Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, and Mee-Mee could already see a few people desperately trying to remember their combination.

"Oh my God, I love him," Nora admitted randomly.

"What was the point of that?" Natalie scoffed.

"I didn't tell you about it, did I?" Nora sighed. Her face was bright red.

"About what?" Dee-Dee inquired nosily.

"It felt so perfect," Nora murmured to herself.

"And…?"

Nora seemed to wake up. "There is no way I'm telling."

"Spacing out again?" Natalie asked. She shook her head. "We better get our schedules for this semester."

Nora gasped. "Schedules!"

Dee-Dee blinked. "Yeah, schedules. What's the big deal?"

"I have Teen Issues this semester," Nora sighed. "All sixth graders have that one semester of the year."

"It stinks," Dee-Dee disclosed.

Nora found a paper taped to the wall. "Caldwell – Dimmons, room 207." Nora groaned. That was in the fifth hallway. She was in the second.

"See you guys," Nora called as she ran down the main hallway, trying to find the 200 hallway. After a minute or so, Nora found the hall and ran to room 207. A few people had gathered around there. Nora didn't know any of them.

The door flew open to reveal the schedules, nice and orderly set on the desk. Nora picked hers up.

All of her main classes were the same, with art being replaced by Teen Issues. Nora closed her eyes in sadness. She wouldn't have another class with Dee-Dee.

But that also meant not having to deal with Carter, either.

Nora walked back to her locker, to get her binder, where a familiar face interrupted her.

"Nice to see your cast is off," Ellen smirked. "Unfortunately, you're still an ugly spoiled dork."

Nora narrowed her eyes. "You haven't changed."

Ellen shrugged. "Actually, I have. I now have a boyfriend."

"Who'd want to go out with you?" Nora asked repulsively.

"Carter Richardson, that's who," Ellen was positively beaming. She thought Nora was shocked. "He told me all about the nasty little bitchy player you are, and we found out that we were made for each other."

"I'm not a player," Ellen countered. "I haven't gone out with anyone."

"Oh?" Ellen had a spiteful smirk on her face. "Then why is it that I saw you kissing someone on the day before break?"

_No, no, no, no…_

"What on earth are you talking about?" Nora asked.

Ellen's smug composure faded. Nora was such an accomplished liar that no one could see through her. "You mean…"

"You've cracked," Nora spat.

Nora stomped off to her class angrily, but once she turned the corner she giggled slightly and headed for Homeroom.

---

Fourth period came. It was Teen Issues, and Nora saw quite a few people she knew. Dexter McPhearson and Natalie Faye invited Nora to sit at their table. There were four chairs to a table, so they had one more vacant chair.

Ellen Rourke walked in, to Natalie and Nora's eternal dismay. She simply ignored her two former friends and sat at a table with some people that Nora didn't recognize. They were obviously popular, as Ellen talked animatedly with them.

Nora was watching the door. Through it walked a few people before…

Mandark walked through the door, and Nora heard an inner voice inside her head.

_Oh yeah! SCORE!_

Mandark sat down next to Nora.

_Omigod. Omigod. Oh… my… God…_

Dexter shook his head. "What makes you think _you're_ sitting here?"

"Why can't I?" Mandark asked haughtily.

"Look, admit that I'm better than you, and I'll let you stay."

"I'm not going to do that."

"Well, you better."

"What does this have to do with Teen Issues?" Nora moaned. No one heard her.

"There is no way I will do that."

Nora saw Natalie pull out her trusty ruler, the one that had so mercilessly beaten Nora on occasion. Nora's eyes widened as Natalie took the device into her perfectly tanned hands and silently edged closer to the bickering pair.

THWACK. Mandark and Dexter had no idea what hit them. Natalie loomed in the foreground, like a modern-day Miss Hannigan, yellow ruler placed firmly in one hand.

"Natalie…" Nora moaned. "You'll get in trouble…"

Dexter looked at Natalie. "Are you crazy?"

Mandark just rubbed his head and sat back down in his seat.

"Shut up," Natalie scowled.

The teacher finally walked in, and Natalie took her seat beside Dexter.

---

Nora's eyes widened.

"What's up with you?" Natalie asked. She was still filling out the archetypal get-to-know-you sheet for Teen Issues. Nora looked at the wooden table.

"In Teen Issues, we talk about… like, pregnancy and sex and stuff, right?" Nora asked incredulously. Mandark turned red.

"Yeah," Natalie scoffed.

"Great," Nora moped. Nora could have sworn she felt someone's hand touch hers, but when she looked down at her outstretched palm, nothing was there. Nora shrugged and wrote that her favorite movie was 'Fritz Lang's M'.

---

"It's so downcast outside," Dee-Dee noted while looking out of a cafeteria window.

Nora looked out the window through the corner of her eye. "It's not too rainy out there, though."

Mee-Mee sighed. "I miss vacation already."

"What's your new elective, Dee-Dee?" Nora asked impulsively.

"Woodshop. I like it though. I'm making a flower," Dee-Dee smiled. "What about Teen Issues?"

"Too early to tell," Nora admitted, "but I like the people I'm sitting with."

"Oh?" Lee-Lee smiled. "Whom do you sit with?"

"I sit with Dexter, and Natalie, and Mandark."

Mee-Mee grinned. "I knew that you and Dexter would look good together."

Nora and Dee-Dee glared at Mee-Mee.

"She doesn't like Dexter," Dee-Dee groaned.

"What?" Mee-Mee asked, now confused. "I thought… they…"

Nora shook her head. She was so glad that Dee-Dee could explain it to Mee-Mee.

---

Math came around once again. Nora was depressed. She didn't have Dexter as a partner anymore, and that meant she could end up with anyone, from Mandark to Ellen.

Nora took a seat in the classroom, and remembered how much she hated the teacher for putting them in pairs that first semester. Now she just wanted to get away from Ellen, she didn't care who she got, she just didn't want Ellen…

Dexter McPhearson and Mandark Astronominov… _Something tells me they'll be at each other's throats. _Natalie Faye and Nora Debussi…

_Yes! _Nora thought. _Score! I'm with Natalie! Oh yeah! Just gotta avoid the killer ruler, but I'll do fine._

Nora and Natalie sat next to each other, and, once the pairings were finished, the fun began.

Nora heard the faint sounds of arguing from the corner of the room.

"Whose idea was it to put those two together?" Natalie asked sarcastically. Nora could almost imagine Natalie going after the pair with a giant yellow ruler, mercilessly trying to decapitate them.

"We better work on our math," Nora stated flatly.

"Yeah. We'll be the only ones working on it, but whatever."

A few minutes passed.

"I can't concentrate," Natalie finally announced.

"Oh, I'm kind of use to background noise," Nora shrugged. "I like to listen to music when I work on stuff."

"Really?" Natalie was now interested. "What kind of stuff?"

"Making Cup o Noodles without blowing up the house… homework… typing… writing in my poem book… stuff, basically."

"Yeah, I get it," Natalie said, and she went back to trying to decipher her problems.

Nora leaned back in her chair. Natalie looked at her in shock.

"You're already done?" Natalie asked.

"Well, sure," Nora shrugged. "I am pretty smart."

Natalie scoffed. "You stink."

Nora smiled, and then stared at Mandark and Dexter. They were arguing.

_You can count on them._

_I love him, I love him, I love him_

_But he doesn't quite know how he feels about me_

_That's just fine, as long as I can see him,_

_I'll wait in my quiet spot, next to you in class_

_Daydreaming, where no one else can look,_

_Inside my mind, feelings become visions_

_I wish visions would become reality,_

_But we'll find out soon enough _

_If this is really a fairy tale_

Nora closed her poetry notebook. Her poetry notebook wasn't really a notebook at all, but more of an encrypted diary.

Nora smiled. _Wow, I'm a genius in an bimbo's body. I love it._

Mandark banged his head on a computer desk.

_Why? _Mandark asked himself. _Why is it that I no longer feel that strange ardor towards Dee-Dee, but instead the only woman who dominates my mind entirely is Nora Debussi? Why can't I think straight around her at all? _

_Is my mind playing me for a fool? I know what I've been doing for the past few years! I'm not an idiot – I know I've loved Dee-Dee McPhearson for longer than I can even remember, pretty much! So why does that Nora Debussi continue to invade my thoughts, my dreams? _

_Why is it that in my sleep, I can feel the touch of her skin against mine? And why, oh why, is she so appealing?_

Mandark looked at his computer screen. The plain blue background stared back at him. For once, Mandark had other things on his mind than working on some strange virus he could use to cripple Dexter.

_So who is it? Who am I really meant for? Why can't I just pick, why can't I just figure out what I'm supposed to do?_

Mandark sniffed the air. Without warning, he slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Incense… I hate that shit…"

Mandark sat down on the black carpeting that was his bedroom floor. He looked down into the inky color of the soft flooring, the color that he so automatically allowed to take control of his entire system.

_Why me? Is Nora just using me? Or does she really love me?_

Mandark reached deep into the confines of his mind, trying to figure out what to do. But while thinking, he came across a memory.

_Nora looked into Mandark's eyes, and became furiously red in the face. "Uh… I like you, okay, bye!"_

_Nora sped off._

Mandark finally felt something click inside his head.

_She told me that after she rejected Carter… she even told me, and I was too daft to even realize it… and I've been pining over Dee-Dee for so long, and she obviously doesn't like me…_

Mandark felt a bead of sweat trickle down his face.

_But I still can't figure this out!_

"Come on, Susan, meditate with us," called a voice from down the hall.

Mandark stood up and turned the lock on his door.

"Sorry," Mandark muttered to himself. "I think I'll pass."

Mandark sat back down in his computer chair. "And my name is not Susan."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "They're playing a Cher song on ODHR."

FlowerChild45: "You like the weirdest music."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Cher is not weird. She rocks."

FlowerChild45: "Whatever. Hey, I explained that you liked Mandark to Mee-Mee and Lee-Lee, is that okay?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Sure. They won't tell anyone."

FlowerChild45: "You seem a bit out of it."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I'm just thinking about… Mandark, y'know?"

FlowerChild45: "What on earth are you saying?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I mean, I really love him, but I have no idea if he loves me back."

FlowerChild45: "Come on. You'll get him… I think… actually, I have no idea."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "You're encouraging. See ya."

Nora logged off of Instant Messenger. She was really worried about what Ellen had said.

Nora had lied to Ellen, but Nora was so scared of Ellen, even though Ellen nauseated her at the same time. Nora looked down at the cream-colored carpet. Nora wanted to drop a vial of ink on the floor and turn the covering a shade of black.

It was just an impulse, but Nora still wanted to do it.

"Nora! Come down here, please!" yelled the male voice of her father, Ian Debussi.

Nora sighed and trudged down the small staircase. In the formal living room, on the expensive red velvet couch, were her mother (in a slinky light blue dress) and her father (in a suit with a navy blue tie).

"What is it, father, mom?" Nora asked as she sat down in another red velvet couch opposite her parents.

"Nora, your mother tells me that you have seemed… distant lately," Ian explained. "She also tells me you have fallen head-over-heels for a detrimental genius."

"He's not destructive," Nora corrected. "He just has a thing against bright colors. Is that so bad?"

Ian ignored his daughter. "Now, tell us the truth, Nora. Are you acting spacey because you are thinking of… this boy?"

"No," Nora lied.

_Anyone could have seen through that, dork, _Nora thought to herself. Ian cleared his throat.

"You're lying," he accused.

Nora sighed. "Okay, yeah, I'm lying."

Ian scowled. "There is obviously something going on between you and him."

Nora knew that she could lie her way out of telling them about the kiss.

"No, he's just a friend. I mean, he talks to me and stuff, but nothing's actually… you know, happened between us."

Amelie looked directly into Nora's eyes.

"Nora," Amelie began. "I have to say that this reminds me terribly of that time long ago… of course, you two were much too young, and we had to put a stop to it…"

Nora narrowed her eyes. "So you're going to put a stop to something that hasn't even happened yet?"

"No, we haven't said anything of the –"

Nora ran out the front door and slammed it behind her. She ran outside, down the street until she saw a playground, with a swing set. Nora walked into the park and sat down on a vacant swing.

She rocked back and forth, releasing her cares and anxieties into the sky as she swayed and the swing chains clanked in their movement.

Nora stared into the January sky and desperately wished that her parents weren't so suffocating.

Nora put her foot down in the sand, stopping her swing. She figured that if she were gone longer than fifteen minutes, her parents would call a SWAT team, so she walked out of the park. Nora followed the sidewalk and was headed for her house when someone put a hand on her shoulder.

Nora whirled around. It was just Dee-Dee.

"Why are you out here?" Dee-Dee asked.

Nora sighed. "My parents think that Mandark isn't an acceptable person, and they haven't even met him."

"Ouch," Dee-Dee murmured. "Are your parents… really that bad?"

"Other than when they force me to wear color and say that the guys I like are unacceptable? No, they're really nice to me and stuff…"

Nora and Dee-Dee began to walk.

"Where'd you go, anyway?" Dee-Dee asked. Nora turned pink.

"I went to the nearest swing set," Nora replied with a smile. "Swinging tends to take my mind off of things. That's one thing I want to do with the Debussi fortune. Build a simple little swing set in the backyard."

Dee-Dee laughed. "You really are a simple girl. If my weird brother had all that money, he'd buy the Nobel Prize Foundation or something like that."

"Your brother and Mandark got paired up in math," Nora grinned. "They were arguing so loudly…"

Dee-Dee shook her head. "The sad thing is, they're very similar to each other. But they hate each other's guts."

Nora shrugged. "Oh well. Better get home before my parents start an Amber Alert."

Nora waved good-bye to Dee-Dee, and walked into her house.

Dee-Dee looked at Nora's house, and thought of Nora.

_She seems so carefree, but she's not… I wish I were like her, _Dee-Dee thought.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab… or Teen Issues… or AOL IM. Hah! I don't!

(starts laughing)

Mandark: …

Sheen: Ultra Lord!

(Mandark hits Sheen)

Mandark: SHUT UP!

(Ren leaves, shaking his head.)


	7. When Our Souls Meet Eternal Rest

When Our Souls Meet Eternal Rest

Part Seven of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

"Wow, she's not too bright, now is she?"

Olga was watching Nora converse with Dee-Dee, Lee-Lee, Mee-Mee and Natalie as they walked towards their table in the cafeteria.

Olga felt an unsettling desire inside her body.

_I know her secret, _Olga thought manically to herself. _I know it, and I can do whatever I want with it, and that'll be the end of her._

Nora walked past Olga, not even noticing her. None of Nora's friends noticed Olga either, but Olga noticed them. Oh, did Olga notice them. Everyone around her seemed to be moving at a standstill as she thought about the secret she'd uncovered, the thing that she loathed yet cherished…

---

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I've been meaning to ask you something."

BrokenBackpack678: "Really? What?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "When you… kissed me, before break… did you… really mean it, or was it… just an impulse… or something…?"

BrokenBackpack678: "…No… I wasn't quite sure if I really… was right for you, but now I know that I am. Is that good enough for you?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "You ask if that's good enough for me…? I… how do I say this… I…

"Oh whatever. I've loved you since the second day of school, and practically no one knew, and I really dumped Carter because I loved you and not him and – geez, now look what you made me do… guess it can't be… helped, though… love, I mean…"

BrokenBackpack678: "I don't know… I've never really been in love…"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "I thought I was in love… once… but nothing happened…"

BrokenBackpack678: "You… wrote that story, didn't you?"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Which story?"

BrokenBackpack678: "You know, the autobiographical incident. Yours was the one in fourth grade, about the parents and the boy and the black and…"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "…I did write that. And I'm afraid… that the same thing is happening again, and I won't be able to do anything… can you excuse me for a second?"

BrokenBackpack678: "Sure, I have to do something really quickly anyway."

Mandark walked out of his room, and Olga peered inside. She saw the flickering of the computer screen before her, and a rush of curiosity swept over her.

Olga noticed a minimized program on the bottom task bar. She clicked on it with the mouse, and opened Mandark and Nora's conversation.

Olga read the story with great interest – it was just the matter of figuring out whom the girl was… and there was always the Buddy List for that.

Olga clicked on Eminem4Ever&Ever (Nora) and opened her bio.

_Oh yeah! I'm being stupid today! Just moved, new screen name, and a new school! Hopefully, a reprieve from the life I left behind, but I can never be so sure. No, I am used to failure._

_Anyway, I am waiting for some of my friends to message me… Come on! NORA WANTS SOME MAIL!_

_Ahem… see ya, I guess._

Olga tried to hold back a wild snigger. The most popular girl in school, widely hated yet greatly loved, the devil in an angel's guise, Nora Debussi. A strange, put upon loner whose soul aim in life was the termination of his enemy, still dealing with the repercussions of being raised by his polar opposites, Mandark/Susan Astronominov. Two people who didn't seem like the types to click with each other, with the gaps in social status and probably their lives in general. But nevertheless, it was a miracle romance being played before Olga's eyes, her unblinking eyes.

Olga heard the faucet in the bathroom. Mandark was almost done in there. Olga quickly copied the conversation, put it on Word, saved it to disk, minimized the conversation and ran back into her own room- all in thirteen seconds. Mandark, not suspecting anything, walked back into his room.

Olga sat in a stunned yet vindictive silence. She knew what others had no idea about. This could definitely play for her.

---

"What are you trying to say, Olga?" Ellen asked. She wasn't being too patient with the girl. Supposedly she had some huge secret that could ruin the lives of the people around her. It was an offer Ellen couldn't refuse.

"Well, I printed out a conversation between my brother and… well, just read it and you'll know."

Olga walked away, looking quite pleased with herself.

Ellen read the white piece of paper, a malicious smile growing wider and wider on her face. It was gold. Pure gold. Ellen could finally get the revenge against Nora (for hurting Carter) she'd so fervently lusted after for so long.

All conveniently located on one slip of paper. Ellen stuck the slip in her backpack and was off.

---

"Nora, you seem… distant."

Nora looked up from her math book. "Oh, it's nothing."

Natalie scowled. "You are totally in the clouds. You have been all day. 'Fess up."

"It's nothing, really," Nora lied.

_How can I tell her that he kissed me…? It seems too good to divulge to anyone._

"Stop lying," Natalie scowled. In the background, the faint arguing of Dexter and Mandark filled the air. Nora and Natalie had learned to ignore it.

"Look, there's nothing," Nora sighed once again.

Natalie slid the ruler out of her backpack, preparing to measure the length of something when Nora folded for some reason.

"Okay fine! He… kissed me… " Nora's voice trailed off as she gazed around the room. Natalie's mouth opened slightly.

"Oh my God, Nora," Natalie gasped. "He did?"

Nora simply nodded, seeing as she was staring across the room at Dexter and Mandark arguing… yet again.

"That's wonderful," Natalie sighed. "If you two start going out, you have to tell me how it is."

Nora smiled. "Of course."

From out of the corner of her eye, Ellen saw Nora and Natalie talking, with Nora constantly looking around the room, eyes usually resting on a certain someone.

_How did this not get out earlier? _Ellen thought to herself wildly. _It's so painfully obvious… well, I guess once you know about it._

_She'll wish she'd never messed with me._

---

"You do know what month it is, right?" Dee-Dee asked Nora.

"February. Duh," Nora spat. "I've only written it on ten billion assignments today." Nora inhaled. "Sorry, I was saving that for Ellen, but it came out on you."

"No problem," Dee-Dee grinned. "And you know what happens in February, right, Nora?"

"We spend the entire month preparing for the standardized tests," Nora wryly observed.

"Well, yes, but that's not what I meant," Dee-Dee snickered, then leaned closer to Nora. "Valentine's Day is what I meant."

Nora narrowed her eyes. "I hate Valentine's Day. Too much pink."

"Why are you so against pink?" Dee-Dee asked.

"It reminds me of girly stuff. I am not a girly-girl," Nora snapped. "I revel in my own personal darkness when no one is watching… eh heh heh…"

Dee-Dee stared at Nora oddly.

"Sorry," Nora apologized. "And I don't like Valentine's Day because of all the romantic things that happen. Everyone is so clingy and stuff… why can't we just axe that holiday for good?"

Dee-Dee chuckled. "It won't be so bad for you, Nora. You can finally ask him on a date."

Nora froze. "What?"

"Oh come on. You can't go on admiring him from a distance forever. It doesn't do a thing." Dee-Dee put her hand to her hip. "Besides, you two were… huh, how do I say it… made for each other."

Nora bit her lip. She really didn't know what to say. So many things flashed through her mind.

_Just once, I want someone to love me…_

_For just one second, I want to feel that magical power welling inside of me, the power of knowing I am his, and he is mine…_

_Is that what I've wanted for so long?_

Nora and Dee-Dee walked in silence until they heard someone yell their names.

"Nora! Dee-Dee!"

It was Dexter. But he looked nerve-wracked, flustered, and very worried.

"What's wrong, Dexter?" Dee-Dee asked curiously. "You don't look so good."

"That's because I've been running after you," Dexter retorted. "Nora, Ellen found out something."

Nora shrugged. "So?"

"Something tells me you didn't want _this_ to get out," Dexter replied, handing Nora a sheet of paper.

On it was a conversation, just from the previous night. And it was terribly revealing…

Nora dashed down the street.

"Nora!" Dee-Dee yelled, flailing after her friend. "What is it?!"

---

Nora highlighted all of her email messages and deleted them furiously.

_Who could have done this? _Nora thought. _Ellen doesn't know my screen name, and besides, the only way she would have seen this was if Mandark or I sent it to her. No way he'd do that. So someone other than us leaked it. But who else would have seen this?_

Nora quickly opened up her Instant Messenger and sent a message to Mandark.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Did you find out?"

A few seconds later, a reply from Mandark came back.

BrokenBackpack678: "Sorry. I've been deleting a bunch of email because of it."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Hey! I didn't do anything!"

BrokenBackpack678: "I'm not saying you did… just calm down…"

Nora breathed in and out. She really needed something to get rid of her giant headache.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Sorry… I'm just not feeling all that great."

BrokenBackpack678: "Would your brother have done that?"

Nora sighed. Once again, her brother was a ways away, in Florida, defending the nation. That ruled out one possibility.

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "My brother went to Florida a week ago. He's going into the military."

Well, that would have been accurate a year ago, so it was semi-truthful in a way.

BrokenBackpack678: "Okay…"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Would anyone in _your_ house have done that?"

BrokenBackpack678: "…"

BrokenBackpack678: "There's my mom and dad… nope, probably not them… and then my… sister…"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "You have a sister?"

BrokenBackpack678: "Yeah. Olga. She's okay, I guess…"

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "Would she have leaked it?"

BrokenBackpack678: "Wait…"

Nora did wait, patiently. Finally, after a minute, Mandark came back.

BrokenBackpack678: "I'll kill her."

Eminem4Ever&Ever: "What? Kill who?"

It was no use. Mandark had logged off. Nora logged off too. She didn't want to keep pursuing him, because he had obviously gone to do something.

_He was just kidding… right?_

---

"What did you do?"

Olga looked up from her incense burner. Mandark had the strong urge to run away from the horrid smell, but he couldn't. This was important.

"What did I do? I don't know," Olga smirked. Mandark felt a vein pulse in his neck. He wasn't enjoying this, and his brain felt ready to shut down from the fumes coming out of the incense burner.

"Stop lying, bitch," Mandark scowled. He was amazed at his own anger. "Why'd you tell Ellen about… Nora?"

"Oh that," Olga sneered. "She thinks she's so perfect, she think she's pretty and smart and stuff…"

"Well, she is smart," Mandark countered.

"Let me finish." Olga brushed a strand of dark hair out of her face. "She doesn't know that quite a few people are envious of her, and that many want to see her fall from grace… Ellen Rourke being one of them. Besides, you did it to yourself. When you were in the bathroom last night, I saved that conversation to a disk, and took it to the school computer lab and printed it out. It was just a simple matter of delivering it to Ellen and letting her do whatever she wanted with it."

Mandark felt every nerve in his body urge him to mercilessly beat her, but he couldn't bring himself to that. He actually had no idea what to do. Never before had such a huge melting pot of emotion bubbled inside of him, and his intellect had no answer to this one.

"So you let her?" Mandark asked. He wasn't very comfortable in the situation, and every fiber of his being told him to strike her, hurt her, do something to her.

"Obviously," Olga sighed. "You're so stupid, Mandark. To honestly think that girl loves you… she's probably just using you."

Mandark snapped. He whacked Olga in the cheek. Olga pressed her hand to her face, then looked quickly at her brother, her eyes trying hard not to well with tears.

Mandark looked at his own hand, undamaged by the brief spat of rage. He shuttered at his own actions, but his mind told him that Olga had deserved it.

"What was that for?!" Olga yelled, standing up defiantly.

Mandark swayed at the spot. "You're wrong. She loves me. And she knew she loved me long before I knew it."

"So you hit me?" Olga gasped. She still rubbed her raw cheek, trying to figure out what Mandark was thinking underneath his ruffled yet collected build.

"You deserved it," Mandark said unflinchingly. He turned swiftly and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him firmly.

He stormed back into his room, not bothering to turn the light on. He sat down on his bed, his mind recovering from the horrible backlash he'd dealt out and the ghastly scent of the cursed incense. Mandark rested his head in his hands.

_See how much I've suffered for you, Nora? See how much I've had to endure? All right, fine. I admit it. I love you. All I do is think about you. I'm obsessed with every aspect of you, your hair, your eyes, your voice, your figure, your devil-may-care attitude, and your sweet kiss…_

_I know you've suffered for me. But now it's my turn, I know it. I don't care what they say anymore. I'm going to love you, and I'll love you until both of us are dead and gone, when our souls meet eternal rest together, and nothing is left to chance._

---

"Oh look, it's Nora."

"Didn't you hear?"

"That's too weird."

"I can't believe her. I wonder how far they've gone…"

Nora slammed her locker shut, making the two girls behind her shut up immediately.

Nora grinned. _Hah, I love doing that._

Dee-Dee was leaning against Nora's locker. "That was mean, Nora."

"Oh well," Nora shrugged. "It's the only thing that gets these idiots to shut up, so I will continue."

Dee-Dee sighed. "Valentine's Day is drawing nearer. What are you going to do?"

Nora had a wicked smile on her face that no one else could see, seeing as Nora was peering into her locker. "Not quite sure."

Ellen sneered as she walked past Nora and Dee-Dee. Nora noticed immediately.

"Got a death wish?" Nora yelled, attracting Ellen's attention.

"Oh my, the little bitch is threatening me," Ellen smirked. "Like I care."

Nora shrugged. "Well, that's all fine, but I have something you need to see."

Nora slid a ruler out from underneath her locker.

"Yeah? What?" Ellen scoffed.

Nora showed Ellen the ruler.

"A ruler? You had to show me that?" Ellen sighed. "You are a lost cause."

Nora hit Ellen with the ruler on the arm. Ellen recoiled.

"Freak!" Ellen yelled.

Nora grinned. She remembered a quote from one of her all-time favorite movies.

_"You know what, I might grow out of that, but you, you will never stop being a jerk."_

Dee-Dee gave Nora a look of shock. The two girls that had been startled by Nora's sudden slamming of the locker began to clap and cheer.

"Now I'm some kind of hero?" Nora shrugged. "I hate life."

Dee-Dee patted Nora on the back. "Natalie will get mad when she finds out you took her signature move."

---

Mandark took Nora's hand. They were alone, all alone, but they knew their limits, and once again, they became miraculously close.

"This feels like last time," Nora breathed.

"Only better," Mandark finished. They leaned in closer to each other, until finally his lips met hers.

The two of them were in their own little world, saying nothing but being kept alive by a simple touch on the hand.

The insurmountable darkness was, as usual, inviting, and as Mandark held Nora to his body, they both felt safe. They knew that they couldn't stay like this for forever, but it felt so good and so right to them.

Nora closed her eyes. No light was lost, but for a long time, she felt as if she could stay put and no one would notice her conspicuous absence from existence.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Mandark let go of Nora, and Nora pushed herself away from him.

"I'm tired of covering for you two," Dee-Dee moaned. "Can you hurry up?"

"How long has it been?" Nora asked.

Dee-Dee sighed. "Ten minutes."

Nora pushed open the door to the Debussi's coat closet. She warily looked around, making sure that her parents still weren't home.

"I heard them pull into the driveway," Dee-Dee warned. Nora vaulted out of the closet and pushed it shut.

_Damn, _Mandark thought.

Nora stood against the doorway, hands behind her head, eyes closed.

Amelie and Ian walked inside. "Dear, are you alright?"

"Yeah, mom," Mandark heard Nora say. "Why?"

"You look completely red."

Mandark gulped.

"I'm fine mom."

Ian sighed. "Me and your mother have to work on the bills. We'll be back down in about an hour."

"Alright mom, father."

Amelie and Ian finally walked upstairs. Nora heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank God," Nora murmured. She opened the coat closet and gave Mandark the universal 'shush' sign. Mandark nodded, and Nora silently opened the front door.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Mandark grinned before he walked out the door.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab or AOL IM. I'm too lazy to write any of the other things… if there were any other things…

Ren: Just go work on your other fics… it's all right…

Kaiba: You are SO weird...


	8. Twisted and Bent Into A Form

Twisted and Bent Into a Form

Part Eight of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

A girl with shiny brown hair, with black frayed tips, sneaked into Mandark's room. Her shirt was black, as was her safety-pin covered skirt. One of her socks hung limply around her left ankle, her left leg adorned by black fishnet, and her right leg had the same fishnet, but it cut off at her mid-thigh. In its place was the other sock, pulled up to above the girl's knee. Her gloves were red, a great contrast to the morbidly dark clothing that adorned her.

The girl found a pair of glasses lying on the nightstand, and pilfered them. Her safety-pin earrings tinkled gently as the girl lowered her head to Mandark's level. She opened up her right palm, and hit Mandark on the head.

"What?" Mandark immediately sighed. He groped for his glasses, but the girl waved them in front of Mandark's face. Mandark grabbed at them, but the girl was too quick.

"I'm not giving you back your glasses until you tell me something," the girl scowled. Across her cheek was a long scar, pink and sinewy.

"That's great, but who are you?" Mandark asked. The girl huffed.

"I'm Susan, remember me?" Susan smiled. Mandark was drawing a blank.

"No, not really," Mandark replied honestly. "Now can I please have my glasses?"

"Not yet," Susan answered, placing the glasses behind her back. "You really don't remember me?"

"No," Mandark responded bluntly. "But to tell you the truth, it's three in the morning. I don't remember much of anything."

"You know the part of a guy's mind that they suppress because they don't want to be called a sissy?" Susan waved to Mandark. "That's me. And you, in a way…"

"My name is not Susan, it's Mandark," Mandark groaned.

"Fine. Be in denial." Susan grinned cheekily. "But it'd be nice if you listened to me for once."

"Why?" Mandark moaned. "I'm tired and I can't see. Now's not the best time for me to be listening to anyone."

"Alright," Susan shrugged. "Fine. Don't listen to me. It doesn't matter. I'm not qualified to give you advice. I only know about your entire life."

Mandark eyed Susan curiously. "Okay. What did I do today?"

Susan pretended to think about it. "You argued with Dexter, you created another worm virus that you plan to email to Dexter tomorrow, you watched 'Totally Spies' even though you find that show stupid, you mourned at Ken Jennings' loss on Jeopardy afresh, and you debated the outcome of the Scott Petersen case with Nora, but you once again failed to tell her you loved her, even though you really do."

Mandark scowled. "Stalker."

Susan gasped. "I am not a stalker. I'm part of your brain."

"You're a nutcase."

"And you aren't, boy?" Susan snapped. "You're pretty smart, but I thought you'd have figured out that Nora and you were meant to be. Obviously not. Idiot."

Mandark scowled. "Why do you think you can tell me this?"

"Well, guess what? She likes the darkness, too. An unusual coup in your world, someone else that would wear black every day if she could. And you still don't say that you love her?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Okay, 'Mandark', I'll answer your question. I think I can tell you this because you're too stupid to even notice it. You may be an utter genius, and maybe you're smarter than genius, but when it comes to real life, you don't really know what to do. You're socially inept."

"I love her. I love her a lot more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."

"Why don't you just tell her that?"

Mandark blushed crimson. "Because I don't have the guts."

Susan smirked. "All right, you can have your glasses back, coward."

Mandark immediately snatched his glasses, but he heard a faint buzzing.

Mandark opened his eyes, roused by an alarm clock. He immediately looked to his nightstand. His glasses were there, untouched. Mandark looked around his room, but there was no one there. Susan was nowhere to be seen.

_That was the weirdest dream I have ever had. By far._

---

In March, the Teen Issues students covered pregnancy, as Nora had feared. But everyone was clearly very uncomfortable. The air was deathly silent, and if anyone – other than the teacher – disturbed that silence, they got a sharp rebuke from their neighbor.

Nora shifted nervously in her seat. Things like this made her very uncomfortable. Nora became so fidgety that Natalie thwacked her knee with the ruler, but it had no effect.

Mandark and Dexter were similarly restless. Mandark couldn't keep his eyes on something for more than a few seconds, and Dexter was constantly moving his thumbs. Natalie was uneasy, but not to the extreme like Mandark, Dexter, Nora, and even Ellen, for that matter.

Ellen kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, while pulling at her shirt in various places.

Nora looked at the Teen Issues book.

_Why do they teach this in a public classroom? _Nora thought to herself. _Worse still, why can't they teach this to me when I'm _not_ sitting next to my true love?_

Natalie closed her eyes. She was trying to block out the teacher's voice.

"Alright, do questions one through four on page 391 for homework," the teacher finally said, shutting her book.

Nora breathed a sigh of relief. To Nora's surprise, so did Ellen. Nora raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but didn't say anything about it until the class had ended.

"Ellen was really fidgety," Natalie mused. "And so were you three. Really twitchy, the lot of you."

Nora shook her head. "It's Teen Issues. Of course we act like we're nervous – because we talked about sex today. You know... sex."

"Very aptly put," Dexter sighed sarcastically. "That'll win the Nobel Prize for sure."

"Come on," Nora responded. "That class is kind of scary. Why do they make us take it?"

"Because the state says we have to?" Mandark offered. "I don't know."

"Oh, so you admit you don't know something," Dexter snapped.

"Yeah. One thing! It's not very important!"

"In a matter of life and death, I could ask that question and have the chance to slit your throat!"

"Don't," Nora interjected. Dexter turned to her.

"Don't what?" Dexter asked.

"You're an idiot," Mandark groaned. "She meant don't slit my throat."

"Oh! So she stands up for you."

"At least someone will."

"What are you implying?"

Nora sighed. It was no use.

---

"Nora, you seem very spacey."

Nora looked up from her math homework. "No, I'm just concentrating."

Amelie scowled. "It is that boy. You can't stop thinking about him."

"No, mom, I'm just working on factoring polynomials. It's natural to be quiet during homework," Nora explained.

"I know that, but all day, you've been walking around with that glazed look on your face," Amelie sighed. "Nora, what is it that you see in that boy?"

"His name is not 'that boy', it's Mandark," Nora corrected. His very name made Nora powerful happy, and sent a wave of love through her system.

Amelie noticed the effect his name had on her daughter, and frowned. "You're lying. All you do is think about him."

"Mom," Nora asked, "Do you know what it's like to be in love?"

"Of course," Amelie scoffed. "You really are becoming rather uncivil, Nora."

"Look, mom, I'd do anything for him," Nora said, her voice a tad airy. "He and I were meant to be."

"He's probably a gold digger," Amelie shuttered.

Nora's eyes widened. "Mom, I loved him before he knew my name. I told him I liked him!"

Nora covered her mouth.

_Oh great. This is great. I said too much._

"Oh?" Amelie sneered. "You seemed to have overlooked this detail earlier."

Nora was furiously red as she tried to focus on her polynomials, but all she could think about was how stupid she had acted.

Her heart was beating a thousand miles per hour once again, like when Mandark touched her hand the first day of school, when she told Mandark she liked him, when they finally kissed that fateful day before break…

"Your face is red, Nora. Stop lying to me."

_I can't tell her. She'll ruin it, just like she did in fourth grade, and then I'll never see him again… I can't let her know… I can't…_

"Nora, answer me," Amelie scowled.

Nora felt a tear form in the corner of her eye.

"There is something between you two, isn't there?"  
Nora snapped. "Alright, fine, mom. There is something between us. You."

Amelie was getting angry. "Nora, stop it. I did that so long ago for your own good."

"If the massive heartbreak was for my own good," Nora twitched violently.

"What?"

"You heard me! Leave me alone!"

Nora grabbed her math book and notebook and ran upstairs, on the brink of tears.

_She's going to ruin my life again, _Nora thought. _And I won't be able to control it…_

---

Nora found exactly what she was looking for – a small craft knife. Carefully she sliced open the back boarding of her poetry notebook/diary. Inside was a collection of letters and things important to her.

Inside of it was the note from Carter, a picture of the fourth grader, and a few other random objects.

Nora took out a piece of notebook paper, ripped it in half, and scrawled on it, _First kiss: Friday, December 18th. It was wonderful and… it was with Mandark._

Nora skipped a line and wrote: _Made out with Mandark on February 14th. Dee-Dee covered for us. It was… amazing…_

Nora slipped the notebook paper in the slit on the backside of the diary. Nora took out a strip of black construction paper and covered the slot in the backboard by gluing it to the diary.

_Why won't he tell me he loves me? _Nora wondered to herself. _It's rather obvious, but I want to know that I'm loved._

_Truly, madly, deeply._

---

Mandark was still absorbed with his dream.

_If that was really a part of my brain trying to speak to me… I've gone nuts. But I was dreaming, and in dreams anything can happen… _

_Is my subconscious trying to tell me that I should tell her I love her? Or am I really delusional?_

Mandark stared blankly across his room. He had the lights shut off once more, and everything was veiled in a darkness he knew only too well.

_I've never seen Nora really morbid, though. I wonder if she really is… but if she was the one that really wrote that story, there's no doubt about it…_

_She almost looked a bit like Susan. They had the same figure… but she had the same eyes I do, and the same lips, and the same… everything, really…_

_Wow, if she had to bend down to see me, she was _tall

_Nora… God, I miss her and I've been away from her about… two hours, at the most. My lovely, little muse…how lonely was your life before me? Is Olga right, and you're really just using me, or am I right when I think that you'd never leave my side if you could? I don't care what you think; I'll always love you…_

_But I'll never summon the courage to tell you._

Mandark narrowed his eyes. _I hate you Susan… absolutely hate you…_

---

Nora wasn't pulling any punches. She was very black, very morbid, and very leery when she came to school the next day. She sat down in Teen Issues, and was well aware that everyone was staring at her, like they had throughout the entire day.

"Are we going to a funeral?" Ellen sneered.

Natalie cocked her head. "You aren't contemplating suicide, are you?"

"Of course not," Nora sighed. She smiled and took out her notebook and a blue pen.

Dexter narrowed his eyes. "You haven't been messing around with… anything illegal, have you?"

"I find that offensive," Nora scowled.

"I think she looks great," Mandark offered. Natalie, Dexter, and Ellen looked at him.

"Thank you," Nora smiled. "It's nice to know one person likes it."

"Why are you all… dark?" Natalie asked.

Nora closed her eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Let's see… where do I start… it's my parents' fault. They enjoy ruining my life."

"You're a cracked bitch," Ellen grinned smugly. "How ironic, nein?"

"Do you want to be smacked with a ruler?" Natalie snapped. Ellen shrank back into her chair.

"Anyway, I like black. It matches my hair." Nora had a huge smirk on her face. Natalie laughed for no reason.

"Strange, Nora. Really strange."

"I'm a walking Teen Issue!" Nora burst out laughing for no reason. Mandark, Natalie and Dexter laughed for no reason as well. Ellen eyed them curiously.

"You guys are weird," she groaned.

"Thank you very much," Nora giggled.

_I feel good._

_---_

The English teacher assigned another writing project, and once again, she would read the three best. This one was to be a creative story, one made up with fanciful characters and a happy ending.

_Well, we can't really ensure the happy ending, now can we? _Mandark thought to himself as he smiled.

He wrote in simple quick language, to maximize the effect of his strange story, unsure of how the story was to end.

He was on his fifth page when he noticed Nora writing. She had pages sprawled everywhere, a grin on her face, and an unflinching gaze that pierced the paper.

_I wonder what she's writing._

Mandark continued to write, becoming absorbed in his own characters, when he realized that the story wasn't too far from reality.

He quickly turned to the first page.

_He ran. He needed to run away. His life was falling apart and he didn't want to keep living his parents' idiotic fantasies. His feet tapped the linoleum, the quick rhythm matching the pulse of his own heart…_

Mandark continued to read, when he found that there was a character for every person he'd ever known in his life…

He looked over to Nora. He still pondered what she wrote, but continued his own tale.

---

Dee-Dee was a bit angry. She had emailed Nora twice; IMed her fifteen times, and called her house. Nora never answered.

Dee-Dee finally walked across the street and knocked on the door. Amelie opened it.

"Oh, hello, Dee-Dee," Amelie smiled.

_She's very pretty, _Dee-Dee thought.

"Is Nora there?" Dee-Dee asked.

"Oh, no; she went to the park an hour ago. She loves the swing set over there, I tell you…"

_The swing set. Nora even said that she loved swings._

"Thank you, Mrs. Debussi," Dee-Dee said, and she closed the door.

Dee-Dee walked down the sidewalk, to the park, and saw Nora, all by her lonesome, swinging her cares away.

"Nora?" Dee-Dee called.

Nora planted her feet down, stopping the swing. She looked at Dee-Dee and smiled. "Hey, Dee-Dee."

Nora was still wearing black, but she was wearing a pretty dress and a small overcoat.

"Why are you here?" Dee-Dee asked curiously.

"Well, I just needed to blow some steam," Nora sighed, "and I needed to get things off my mind."

"What kind of things?"

Nora looked down at the ground.

"My parents are prying into my life. They want to make sure that I don't do anything that would humiliate the family."

"And we're along the lines of…"

"Well, anything with Mandark may be out of the question. They think he's a deranged maniac."

"Which he is," Dee-Dee pointed out. Nora frowned.

"But not to you," Dee-Dee added quickly.

Nora raised her eyes to Dee-Dee. "Exactly."

Dee-Dee frowned, and then grasped Nora's hand. "Come on. You can come to my house. Stay the night, I think you need some time out of the house."

"Thanks, Dee-Dee," Nora smiled.

---

_He'd have to assume a new persona. He needed a new life, and he needed it fast. He couldn't bear to stay the way he was – on the surface, a happy, clueless guy. No, he wanted to be something more than that. _

_He saw a black cape on a video box in a movie store. The darkness invited him to come closer, away from the light._

_He immediately understood. He could no longer pretend to live his life like an idiot. He needed to take some form of action._

_He cut his hair off, so that the once shoulder-length locks were now short and sleek. He devised a plan – a plan so dark and bleak, one that many before him had attempted – a plan to one day rule the entire world._

_But why, why would he want to rule the world? It was rather simple to him – he wanted to make sure no one else had to endure his anguish, the simple existence that had threatened to drive him over the edge._

_Nothing stood in his way. That was, until he moved at the beginning of fifth grade, to a new school, with another genius that was vastly different from him…_

_This genius, which the students called Edward, was short and smart._

_But this didn't perturb Mark at first. He would be, without fail, the smarter of the two. His mind, now twisted and bent into a form that truly opposed the way of life he had in fact lived, would be far superior to that of his smaller nemesis._

_And no one would stop him._

DISCLAIMER: usual stuff, don't own DL or anything else.

A/N: This is the SUPER babble chapter, so if it makes no sense... well, Susan is in it.


	9. One Hand, One Heart

One Hand, One Heart

Part Nine of 'Something I Believe In – Miracle Romance'

"Nora!" Amelie yelled. Nora snapped out of her strange stupor and opened her eyes.

"Yeah, mom?" Nora asked.

Amelie sighed. "Does your head EVER come out of the clouds?"

"Yeah, mom," Nora answered blankly. She wasn't paying much attention, instead thinking about Mandark, as always.

"How about that Dodger game last evening?"

"Yeah, mom."

"I asked you about the Dodger game."

"There was a Dodger game?"

Amelie sighed again. "No, there wasn't. But you answered, 'yeah' and stared at the ceiling again."

"Yeah, mom."

Amelie put her head in her hand. "Oh come on Nora. You can't be thinking about that boy again."

Nora didn't feel like correcting her mom again. Amelie never called Mandark by his real name. Actually, Nora wasn't completely aware of her surroundings, and yet she was in a way…

* * *

"School dance?" Nora repeated. Dee-Dee nodded.

"It's the annual spring dance," Dee-Dee explained. "It's the only one that isn't eighth-grade only. It's a formal… and guess what, Nora?"

Nora groaned. "You're pestering me… aren't you?"

"Just slightly," Dee-Dee grinned. "Come on. This is it, Nora. The only formal you'll attend this year. Just ask him to the dance."

"I'm… not sure…" Nora admitted.

"Come on." Dee-Dee rolled her eyes. "You can't let this pass you by."

"And when is this formal spring dance?" Nora asked curiously.

"Two weeks from tomorrow," Dee-Dee responded with a smirk. "Take a chance, girl."

Nora returned the smirk. "I… I believe I will…"

"Now that's the spirit. How about some Starbucks?"

"Sure, whatever… I like their iced tea."

"No coffee?"

"Can't do coffee. Drives me nuts."

"Fine, whatever…"

* * *

Dee-Dee and Nora walked down the sidewalk, smiling.

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Nora asked Amelie that day. Amelie turned around from the cocktail shaker. She put down the stainless-steel object and looked at her daughter with a grin.

"Yes, dear, what is it?" Amelie inquired.

"Mom, there's a formal dance at school in two weeks… and it's the only dance that's not exclusively for eighth graders…"

"You'll need a dress, of course," Amelie interrupted. "We can do that."

Nora's eyes grew wide with happiness. "You'll let me go?"

"Of course I'll let you go," Amelie scoffed. "You honestly thought I wouldn't let you go?"

Nora skipped happily around the house. "I love you mom! Thank you_ so _much! Yay!"

Amelie shook her head. "I said I'd let you go. That doesn't mean that you can go with that boy."

Nora immediately stopped skipping. Something snapped in her brain, and she could almost feel her heart shatter and fall, in pieces, on her esophagus.

"But that's the point of a formal dance… to go with a date," Nora countered.

"I told you, he is unacceptable."

Nora felt something pushing at her brain, and before she knew it, a powerful emotion had pressed its way into words.

"But you've never even MET him. How do you know if he's acceptable?"

"You have expressed in words some strange tendencies that I find –"

"He's the only one for me."

Amelie lowered her eyes. "Alright, fine. I don't care. You do feel very strongly about him, correct?"

"Yes."

"I guess… it's fine… but I really must say that I'm not entirely in favor of letting you go with him. And how about seeing if he even asks you?"

Nora fluttered her eyes closed, feeling her heart reassemble again. "You don't know how much this means to me, mom."

Amelie watched her daughter walk up the staircase wordlessly.

"I believe I do," Amelie replied softly.

* * *

"Carter already asked Ellen to the dance," Mee-Mee scowled.

"He got over you, it seems," Natalie said to Nora.

Nora crossed her arms. "I'm glad."

Dee-Dee looked to Nora. "You seem really happy today."

"Oh. My mom… she told me yesterday that I could go to the dance. With a date."

"Who'd you have in mind?" Lee-Lee asked. Dee-Dee smiled, Natalie sniggered, and Nora blushed.

"I think you know who…"

Nora felt the cool spring breeze blow gently into her face. The school grounds were attractive again, with the grass having grown back and the flowers blooming. People milled around during the nutrition break, talking and laughing.

Nora held 'Romeo and Juliet' in her hand, a favorite book of hers. It had been ever since she saw 'West Side Story'.

"Good luck, Nora," Natalie grinned.

"Thank you."

* * *

Nora looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Mom, I look like a Christmas tree."

Amelie cocked her head. "Yes, I believe so, too."

Nora looked at the dresses she had picked out, hanging on the rack. Currently she was in a forest green floor-length dress, but there were many dresses hanging on the rack, ranging from floor-length to mini-skirt and every color in between, from black to red to puce.

Nora felt herself being thrust out of the green dress and zipped up into one that Amelie hadn't really approved of – a black lacy number, with buckles, chains, and safety pins abounding. Nora smiled at herself. She liked the dress.

Amelie scowled. "Nice try, Nora."

Nora sighed as she was hustled into another dress. But this dress made Nora stare.

It was shiny red, with black ribbon around the waist. It reached the middle of Nora's lower leg, and it tied in the back of the neck. Nora could see herself in the mirror, in the dress, and she looked good.

_This one._

"I like this one," Nora sighed. Amelie nodded.

"I think this will do."

Nora hugged her mother. "I love you."

Amelie hugged her daughter back. "I love you too."

* * *

Emotions were running extremely high the week before the dance. Girls were frantically asking each other about who would make the best King and Queen of the dance; guys were asking their beloved ladies to the dance.

Nora looked inside her locker.

"Perfume, perfume, perfume… I swear you left it in here, Natalie…"

Natalie scowled. She lowered her head in consternation.

"I doubt I left _anything_ in there, Nora. Just give it up…"

Natalie trailed off as Mandark walked over. Nora didn't ask about Natalie's prominent silence.

Mandark leaned very close to Nora, and when he was sure that he couldn't be overheard, he whispered in her ear, "Are you going to the dance?"

"Yes," Nora whispered back.

"Will you go with me?"

"Of course…"

Mandark kissed her on the cheek. "See you then."

Mandark walked away as quickly as he had shown up, Natalie watching him the entire time.

"What was that about?"

Nora was shaking with bliss, her head still somewhat concealed by her locker. Nora slowly closed her locker, and smiled, her eyes wide.

"Nora? Are you okay?"

Nora turned to Natalie and hugged her. "I feel pretty!"

"Don't start singing, please!"

"Oh my God. Oh my God!"

"What the hell did he DO to you?" Natalie asked, concerned.

"He asked me to the dance!"

Natalie grinned. "I get it now. But… can you let go of me?"

Nora let go of Natalie, but then went off skipping around the hallway.

Ellen stared at her from the corner of her eye. "God she's weird."

* * *

_He thought he could just admire that girl from afar. Her, a goddess in a child's guise, the girl too good for him. He couldn't bring himself to even talk to her._

_But then came another. She was just a normal girl, a blossoming young woman with beauty that matched her brains, and black skater shoes underneath jeans. Total clash of style, but somehow the girl pulled it off. She was new, and she became pretty integrated into the slipstream of school life that day._

_Mark didn't realize how important that petite girl was to him. Little did he know that his precious Nami was the real object of his affections, the sole reason for his sanity. Mark accidentally attributed this to that blonde babe, but time passed, and it seemed Nami did indeed like him._

_How much was left to the imagination, but Mark couldn't figure out why Nami was on his mind so often. He tried to force her out of his conscious, but it was futile. He wanted to go out and tell that woman that he loved her, but he still didn't understand the extent of his love. _

_It tortured him endlessly, but he eventually gripped his own feelings with a cold hand, the one that had accepted darkness for darkness' sake along with his entire body. The long slog towards understanding was so dreary, drearier than even he had endured before. _

_But Nami was still there, and she still watched Mark with great interest. He felt obliged to protect her, yet weak in the knees when he talked to her. It was a strange blend of emotions, one that he didn't quite grasp._

_But it felt so good to him, standing by her side.

* * *

_

"Dee-Dee, you're going to the dance, right?" Nora asked her. Dee-Dee nodded, still tired. It was only seven-fifteen, but it was the day of the big formal dance. Everyone was talking about it, and everyone, as a result, was a bag of nerves.

No one was more so than Nora, who felt like she would barf all day. Her stomach was very queasy and her body was very shaky, and Dee-Dee noticed this.

"Are you okay?" Dee-Dee asked. Nora blinked, totally unaware what Dee-Dee was trying to tell her.

"You look nervous," Dee-Dee said flatly. Nora sighed.

"Of course I am. After school, at five… the dance begins. You'd be nervous if you had a date, too."

"So what? I'm single; I'm going to stay that way. Unless I get asked to dance, you won't see me with any guys," Dee-Dee huffed.

"You seem kind of edgy," Nora pointed out.

"It's fine, Nora. This is your night, remember?"

Nora blushed and looked away. "Not entirely, no…"

Natalie joined Nora and Dee-Dee. "You know who I'm going with?"

"Who?"

"No one! So you'll just have to make up for me!"

Nora scowled. "You guys are pretty and smart – why can't you get a date?"

"I didn't want one," Dee-Dee sighed.

"My guy already has a date," Natalie mumbled. "Oh well. Everything will work out."

Nora didn't say anything. She was now more nervous than she had ever felt in her life.

* * *

Nora brushed out her hair. Amelie was tying her dress in the back, and telling her lots of random things.

"Alright, Nora, be careful… hope you have a good time… put on the makeup…"

"Mom, I've got it," Nora sighed. She pushed up the lipstick in the lipstick tube and applied a shade of blood-red lipstick to her lips. "I'm really nervous."

"I met your father at a school dance, a very long time ago," Amelie reminisced. Nora dropped the lipstick.

"You never told me that."

Amelie nodded. "My mom didn't like him. She had seen him though, and back then he was obsessed with punk rock. But I liked him a lot, and now look at us."

Nora was stunned. "What are you saying? That you're doing the same thing your mom did?"

"Nope, I'm saying have a good time."

Nora shrugged as she put on eye shadow. She didn't get it.

The doorbell rang. Nora closed the eye shadow and walked downstairs. "Bye mom!"

Amelie looked over the railing as Nora opened the door. Mandark was standing there waiting for Nora. Nora said something, and then Mandark said something in reply.

"Bye mom!" Nora yelled again.

"Goodbye Mrs. Debussi," Mandark calmly said. Then the pair was off, but there were a few voices behind Mandark. One sounded an awful lot like Dee-Dee's.

Amelie watched the door shut, and smiled.

* * *

"Do something stupid!" Natalie yelled at Nora.

Nora gritted her teeth. "Why?"

Dee-Dee laughed for no reason.

Mandark smiled. "We're almost there."

"I feel pretty!" Natalie cried. She was wearing a pretty purple dress. Dee-Dee smiled too.

Nora scowled. "Are you on something, Natalie? You've been going crazy ever since we started walking."

"No, I'm just so happy!" Natalie screamed, flinging her arms around Nora. Nora shoved her off.

"Don't touch me," Nora said.

The school loomed in the distance. A bunch of people in amazing dresses, tuxes, skirts and shirts talked, shelled out money for drinks, and entered the odd purple glow of the gym lights. Nora half expected Natalie to die at the spot.

Natalie ran into the gym, yelling her happiness to the world, and anyone else that would listen to her.

Dee-Dee sighed. "We better make sure _she_ doesn't do anything too stupid."

* * *

The soft glow of the lights shone ever so dimly around the many figures dancing on the gym floor, the shuffling of feet moving with the fast, upbeat song. Nora was surprisingly good at dancing. She got into the dancing a little bit too much, for a few guys started whistling and asking her to dance. Nora promptly whacked them with Natalie's purse.

But the song stopped, and the DJ looked into the crowd.

"Okay, now we're going to play a slow song for all the couples out there."

"Bye!" Natalie yelled.

"See ya," Dee-Dee grinned.

Nora stood to the side, waiting ever so patiently for him to come… when Nora realized she knew the song.

_So many words for the broken heart_

_It's hard to see in a crimson love_

_So hard to breathe_

_Walk with me, and maybe_

Nora saw Mandark walk closer to her. She walked closer to him.

"Will you dance with me?"

"Of course."

_Nights of light, so soon become_

_Wild and free, I can feel the sun_

_Your every wish will be done_

_They tell me…_

It was wonderful just being near him. Nora was dancing, she was so close to him, and her face was red, she knew it, but her eyes were clear and so was her mind…

_Show me the meaning of being lonely_

_Is this the feeling I need to waltz with_

_Tell me why I can't be there where you are_

_There's something missing in my heart_

Mandark looked at Nora, and Nora looked back at him.

"I love you," Mandark finally said. No one else was paying attention to the pair, but Nora couldn't have felt more popular at that moment.

_He loves me._

"Me too," Nora smiled. They were leaning closer.

_Life goes on, as it never ends_

_Eyes of stone observe the trends_

_They never say, _

_Forever gaze_

Nora felt his lips against hers, a feeling that never got old, an emotion that couldn't be described. Nora never wanted to let go of him; Mandark didn't want to let go of her.

_Guilty roads to an endless love_

_There's no control_

_Are you with me now?_

_Your every wish will be done_

_They tell me…_

Lurking in the shadows was a girl with brown hair with black frayed tips. All of her clothes were black, save a pair of red gloves, and she smiled, her blood-red lips shining in the faint light.

"So, he does indeed listen to me…"

The girl grinned slyly.

"Dear Mandark… now you know the happiness you only dreamed of."

Susan watched silently, and when Mandark saw her out of the corner of his eye, she disappeared.

But the couple didn't see two eyes staring at them, looking rather heartbroken.

The End

DISCLAIMER: Okay… I don't own Dexter's Lab, AOL IM, the LA Dodgers, The Backstreet Boys, or Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely…

A/N: Ah yes. This story is finally done. But there is the matter of the sequel… and it's… one-sided Dexter/Mandark! Hear that, Vindaloo? You finally got your wish! (Muttering: sheez, the sequel is going to be angst, angst, and some more angst…)

I just want to thank everyone who put up with me as I wrote this thing in a week… eight days tops. I've just been really erratic with the postings. And sorry about Olga's age and her favorite pastime, beating up Mandark… (Bangs head on table) I knew that, I just slipped up a bit… that chapter WILL be replaced, I swear!

Okay, now it's the end, so… I don't know how to end this author's note. Oh, I know how!

Ren: Uh, hi, I'm Ren from Shaman King… and I… why the hell am I up here?

Satine: You dork! Do something!

Sheen: I'm telling you, he is NOT Ultra Lord!

(Kaiba socks Sheen… and this strange Author's Note ends here…)


End file.
